


Escape

by heartykeykeke



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: 2park mention, Action, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up, Gun Violence, M/M, MafiaAU, Minor Character Death, Ongniel, Plot With Porn, Pornography, Romance, Slow Burn Relationship, Suspense, Trigger Warnings, abductionau, all memebers appear as mentions or sides, badass Guanlin, badass fighter daniel, emo seongwu, escapeau, escaped prisinor, escaping things, fuckboy daniel, hard core smut, heavy smut, minhwan, nielwink mention, no minors involved in smut, ong woojin mention, onghwang suggestion, ongnielisscience, ongwoon mention, out of the frying pan into the fire, sex is not fully consensual, some violence, warning attempted rape, warning depression, warning hints of side pairings, warning murder, warning suicidal attempts mentioned, warning suicidal thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-10-23 04:02:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 108,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17676089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartykeykeke/pseuds/heartykeykeke
Summary: China is one of the countries obsessed with the Korean idol look. A crazy couple shaded by the business join the mafia and form an organization called Swing. Swing captures attractive Korean men visiting China and uses their face to earn a profit in various serving jobs. The top of the ladder is the pornography facility buried securely in the mountains. A chance encounter forged by shared misfortune brought two men together. In time, Daniel and Seongwoo would learn that escape brings no sure-fire end to their problems and that perhaps discovering the line between friendship and love is the greatest hurdle of all.





	1. Prologue: The Abduction

**Author's Note:**

> See tags for trigger warnings and mentioned side pairings. This story might not be for the light hearted. It has moments of darkness and in general the way that these boys relationships start is beyond normal. Still, it has moments of hotness, comedy, and fluff on top of the angst and action. I wanted to try something dark and I've debated a long time about posting this story because of its themes. Please consider before you read, I don't want anyone shocked.
> 
> Again, see tags.

**Characters**

 

**Kang Daniel**

21 years old

background in dancing, likes working out, has a positive mind set, number one in the facility, liked by all for his kindness and good character which doesn't match his lethal body, good at everything, extremely strong and masculine, good leadership qualities, a free-spirit difficult for Swing to control, thinks of it as his personal duty to protect the weak and down

 

**Ong Seongwoo**

22 years old

background in photography and drawing, likes music, coffe, and instruments, often reads and studies, usually melancholy, negative, and guarded, keeps up a cool composure with most people, known as a face genius, struggles with depression, one of the more obedient workers in Swing, his loneliness shows when he's asleep, has a complex character  

 

 

 

**Prologue: The Abduction**

 

**February, 2015**

 

An eighteen year old Korean student was traveling in Shanghai with classmates from his art school. The group had been wandering around to spots recommended on TripAdvisor. The student had an interest in photography. He stayed silent as he followed his horde of rambunctious friends, taking photos with the large black Canon camera slung around his neck. He had an eye for unique aesthetics, especially loving anything old.

He was taking photos of the elaborate traditional temple still when he realized that he got separated from the group. He looked in all directions but the crowd of tourists and passing locals always seeming in a hurry made it impossible to see where they had scampered off to. He got out his phone to call them, pressing it to his ear while listening to the Psy song playing.

“You sure do like taking photographs, pretty boy. I noticed you had a whole gathering of tourists in line to get their pictures taken by you earlier. You must be quite good,” a pretty Chinese woman with flowing, Chestnut curls said as she stepped out of her car.

The boy looked up and stalled, awestruck by her mature, radiant beauty. He flushed and bowed ninety degrees as her compliment rang through his head. He heard he was handsome from time to time but it was different coming from a clearly rich, much older, foreign female.

“Thank you. I’m studying photography right now, so I’m still lacking in many ways. Although it is interesting.”

She smiled sweetly. His heart raced and he nervously scratched his neck, finding it hard to look at her.

The sound of a car door opening and the click of heels on wet pavement came. “Would you mind taking our picture too? I only ever have pictures of my girlfriend since we’re shy to ask but you seem like a nice, helpful kid that's worth asking, maybe even paying...”

“Oh, sure. Sure I can. Just tell me where you’d like to shoot. I can email you the photos later if you prefer them to be on my camera. Free of cost as long as it's not over a hundred photos you  want tons of Photoshop work done on.”

The student attempted to hide his disappointment when the girl was joined by a tall, blonde Chinese man who was even prettier than she was possibly. He looked like a model with a tall, slender frame and the sweetest, most angelic face. He felt like they suited each other and their overall impression was that they were kind on top of their stellar appearance. He should have recalled at that moment what his mother was always tell him ‘looks mean nothing deep, never judge a package just by its fancy wrapping.’

The student didn’t notice that his phone had been snitched while they had their photoshoot--the girl had innocently touched his arm while boldly flirting, that’s the gist of what he knew. The couple offered him a ride in their car and to use their phone to call his friends. They promised that they’d catch up with them quicker this way even with the traffic.

The student felt something was weird then but he didn’t listen to his instincts. The couple’s smiles felt equally fake and they often glanced at each other as if they were having a silent conversation. It was weird that the man didn't look angry when his girlfriend touched and heavily flirted with him. The student didn’t think all that much of those signs because he was desperate to get back to his friends.

The student hadn’t known then that he wouldn’t be reuniting with his friends the rest of the trip. The deceivingly innocent, handsome blonde turned the car down an alley the opposite way, speeding up and ignoring the boy’s questions.

“Where are you going? Where are you taking me? Just let me out. I’ll find my way back. Hey, are you deaf? I said let me out!”

The boy found that he was unable to unlock the car door and the windows were also controlled form the front. The gorgeous woman who know seemed like a Black Widow instead of a princess to him turned around with a wicked smirk on her painted face.

“I hope you’ve enjoyed your stay in China thus far. Because from now on, you’re living here. We’re taking you with us to Swing Headquarters. With that pretty face and kind nature of yours, I’m sure we can find a good job for you.”

He slammed on the window, shouting to anyone though it was hardly any use with the speed they were going and the thick glass. “Save me! Save me! Anyone! Please!”

That’s how the seventeen year old art student came to be abducted on his first trip outside the country by a Korean speaking branch of the Chinese mafia.

 

**July, 2015**

 

A seventeen year old student who loved to dance so much that he left his southern hometown to go to the big city was having the time of his life. He’d travelled with his dance crew without his mother's knowledge to Beijing for a dance competition. They had won and they were going out to celebrate.

A super hot Chinese noona that could speak fluent Korean had offered an outing to the young crew backstage while congratulating them on her trophy. She said that her brother worked at this club as a bartender and so she could easily sneak them in and get them free drinks. What group of men just turning into adults ever would say no to a chance to party?

 Of course they followed her to the club though they barely knew anything past her name. Though Victoria sounded as fake as it could get. If she was Chinese, why did she not have a Chinese sounding name?

They pummeled the noona with questions, trying to hit on her because she was absolutely stunning, flashy, and exotic, but she avoided giving out personal information. They should have known she was bad news from that on top of the fact she was seducing kids over a decade younger than her.

The student however had always liked older women because they were more of a challenge and were caring. She also reminded him of a cat, sort of smelled like the ones at home somehow. He was seriously interested in her on top of being a bit homesick, so he pursued her throughout the night, flirting, joking, and cleaning the floor with his b-boy spins, hoping to catch her fancy.

Eventually, the student had one too many Tsingtaos. He took a risk when he felt there was this good vibe going between them. He held her waist and bravely kissed her. She didn’t seem objected to it but she didn’t respond or get into it more than allowing a simple peck. That one peck, however, got him in serious trouble with her protective brother.

The tall, slender blonde with the pretty face flew over the top of the bar, shoving the young man away. The confused student then found himself dragged out to the back, the guy pinning him to the floor and punching the lights out of him. He was dizzy, his head ached, and his lips and cheeks were bleeding which stung and tasted salty. Luckily, the merciful woman came to his rescue. She pulled her brother she called Luhan off and calmed him down with a kiss on the mouth.

“Well, I didn’t expect to see that here. Is incest common in China?” Daniel smirked as he pulled himself up.

The student winced and wiped at his stinging lips, red streaks staining his hand. Her brother wasn’t so innocently handsome with that scowl and fierce glare. The student might have thought him scary if he wasn’t already bigger and taller than him.

“We’re not related, you idiot. I really ought to…”

The man broke out in Chinese curses as the woman came between them and rubbed his arms. “Don’t ruin the prize I got us. If you touch his face anymore, I don’t think he’ll be useful. We need more workers like him. He’s not stereotypically pretty and he’s got a good physical and he’s charming. He’s perfect. Let’s keep him.”

“Keep me? Sorry miss, you can’t take me home like I’m some stray you want to make a pet. You wouldn’t even be able to drag me in the first place.”

There was a click sound as the blonde man's arm shifted swiftly. The student froze with a chill running down himself to see he was at the end of a loaded pistol.

“We don’t need to drag you. You’re going to come with us compliantly. If not, this dump will be the last place you will ever see.”

“Don't shoot his face!” Victoria squeaked, forcing the gun arm down so the weapon aimed more at his legs.

“Wait, you see. I won't be any good to abduct. My mom doesn't know I'm here and I don't have my phone with me. We're also not rich if you can't vtekk from what I'm wearing. You won't be able to get randsome.”

The student calmly talked to the couple with his hands up until he managed to get an opportunity to lunge. The two men fought but it was the sneaky woman who won the big prize at the end of the night. She hit the student busy wrestling with the Chinese man with the butt of the gun, causing him to pass out. They carried his massive body to their car, ditching his phone and ids, pocketing his cash. Thus, the eighteen year old became property of Swing just a few months after the seventeen year old. With only the clothes on his back--a navy hoodie and holey pair of jeans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. The Facility & The Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is rough in the service industry, but at least we've got the better conditions now. Most importantly, we've got each other. Since it's hard to find a true friend in this situation, or anything even close.
> 
> Trigger warnings: non-consensual mentions, heavy smut, mentions of cutting, suicidal thoughts, pornography, depression

August, 2019

 

The entertainment branch of the mafia was run by a company simply known as Swing. Swing gained the highest amount of their service industry profit from a facility in the remote mountain town of Yangshao in the central region of China. The actual facilities didn’t appear at all like it made them millions a month (which was a strategic characteristic of most Swing facilities in order to remain discreet). It was a rather run down, simply designed apartment complex with two floors built in a circular formation. There wasn't a thing about it that made it seem any different than other low-income complexes around the country.

The first floor housed Chinese families with cement floors stretching out from the front doors of the rooms where kids could ride their bikes and roller blade. The center of the gladiator stadium like complex had a playground and a garden with an elegant marble fountain.

The second floor was much shadier in comparison. The residents were single, young, Korean men that hardly ever came out during the day. The residences were kept in the dark about what their jobs were that kept them inside most of the time. They of course had no clue they were not there by choice and that they could not speak Chinese. Since interaction was strictly forbidden from the company.

 Despite feeling anxious, they preferred to have the nearly free housing that was close to a great school district and the job security they were provided by keeping their mouths shut. As long as the upper residents didn’t do something to their children, they would stay there, getting discount and support from Swing, a continuously expanding branch of the Chinese mafia that ruled half of the country including the corrupt government from the shadows.

One of these shady residents was Ong Seongwoo. He was a handsome man with model looks and proportions along with an angelic smile and polite attitude. If anyone met him on the street, they wouldn’t suspect him as someone suspicious to be wary of. He didn’t give off that sort of look besides the fact that he spent 95% of his days in his dimmed room, which certainly helped his creamy complexion. The rooms of the second floor had navy or black shutter blinds that they were ordered by Swing to keep shut for the sake of their own privacy and so as not to disturb the families going about their normal lives below. To ensure the shutters could not be seen through at night, there was a black roll down curtain installed behind that.

Seongwoo usually liked the dark when he slept so he didn't have complaints about it but these past few months he had difficulty sleeping again even when using those. The upper floor residents slept during the day because they had to work at night six out of seven days of the week. They had one day off a week which Swing placed in their schedules of their own accord, each week different. This way it prevented their employees from meeting regularly during their resting time.

Their work was not something that they enjoyed nor was it something they chose. Thus, to prevent their discord from turning into organized revolt, drastic measures were taken to ensure their ‘safety.’

They didn’t have much to complain about now. The employees--abducted attractive Korean men in their early to mid twenties--had experienced much worse sorts of jobs before coming here. They were always put in the service industry because of their faces and switched out a few months at the company's whims.

In Seongwoo’s case, he’d been a bartender, night club host, switched roles between a singer, guitarist, and drummer in a live band, and private dancer. This job that he’d been allowed to stay in for a year was the best that Swing had to offer the prettier, obedient abductees like him. He had made his way up to the top of the ladder without any intention. The benefits and conditions in this job were the best of them all.

For one, he worked only with other Korean abductees he was friendly with, not rich Chinese people who lusted after, disrespected, and verbally/physically abused him (with next to no repercussions from managers connected to Swing). He was given an apartment room of his own with which he could decorate and do as he wished in. Doing well in his couple hours of night shift work gave him more cash points. These points acted as a sort of reward system. Each week he could order from a catalogue of specific items that he wished for.

He had not been happy in all the years that passed since his abduction. However, this was the closest that he could say he came to happy, after he got used to the conditions of the intense, adult job.

He was much freer and more comfortable. He had a warm bed. He could choose the foods and drinks he wanted. He could save up and trade points for things to keep him amused in the room--sketchbooks and drawing tutorials, movies, comic books, novels, poetry books, musical instruments like a guitar and drum set, an espresso machine so he could practice making coffee.

 He loved to study how to do something as well as languages and he also enjoyed anything artistic, especially music and story related. He had a fitness area but books and music provided him with much better escape from his depressing situation than that. Which was why his brain and fingers were much more advanced than his slender, frail body which frequently had small issues.

Seongwoo sighed, drumming his fingers against the scratched window pane as he looked through the open shutters. Watching the children laughing and running about the playground made him sadly recall those simpler times when he’d run around a similar park in Incheon with his little brother, Jinyoung.

Jinyoung must be just about to graduate high school by now. He wondered if his parents were still looking for him or if they’d thought him dead after being missing for several years without any leads. He wondered if Jinyoung had grown up well without his guidance and hoped he hadn’t wasted too much of his study time crying and worrying about his beloved brother.

 The two had been even closer than these Chinese kids appeared. They had hardly ever even fought which was unusual for siblings. It was a testament to their personalities which they inherited from their parents--calm, rational, considerate, and empathetic.

The one time that Seongwoo had been selfish, he regretted it every day until that second. Jinyoung had asked him not to go to China because he wanted help with studying for his exams. However, he had never been out of the country and all of his other senior classmates he was close with at that time had the whole thing planned and were excited about it, pressuring him to go. He’d been stuck between a rock and a hard place and ended up making the wrong decision. He learned the hard way that people were not to be easily trusted and that not all countries were as safe as his mother one. He hadn't known how much of a sheltered life he was living until he'd been ripped out of it and tossed into the extreme opposite.

 He’d give up all this minor comfort for ten minutes reunited with his family. All he ever thought about when looking outside was how desperately he wanted to escape this life and get back to Korea, even if it was surely going to be a struggle without even having graduated high school and having no legitimate work experience any Korean company would find useful. That was what kept him up during the day when he should be recharging for his shift which took a lot of energy out of him, both emotionally and physically. It was also one of the things that kept him from harming himself when he had his bouts of hopelessness.

 The word was bouncing in the walls in his brain like a pinball ‘escape, e-scape, es-cape, escape!’ He hadn’t ever really thought of it seriously before since it was an impossible feat and a failed attempt would result in instant execution. The managing leaders of Swing under the main boss--that couple Victoria and Luhan who had betrayed him years ago--were unforgiving and cold as ice. After seeing countless Korean abductees executed for their half-assed attempts at escape or rebellion gatherings and never having seen someone from his Korea’s government come to his rescue, he had pretty much given up on seeing his family or country again.

Those families wouldn’t even help if they told them their sob stories. The parents that worked in manufacturing companies didn’t trust the foreigners living on the first floor as they were certain they were connected to bad circles and up to no good. The children were forbidden from ever going up there even. The families and the Koreans were stuck there in this shady facility that acted like a prison disguised as a peaceful suburban neighborhood. They simply had nowhere better to go, this was the best deal they could get, and obeying Swing was better than ending up in the ground (at worst, at the top of a pile of bodies to be burned). Just as he was stuck, having to try and find contentment with the less shitty of the shit situations he'd stumbled into.

Seongwoo slammed his fist against the wall and squeezed his eyes shut tight. A single tear slipped from under the ebony fanned out lashes that went on for days and trickled down his sculpted cheekbone.

“Stop thinking about pointless things. Distractions, entertainment, that’s what you need. One day at a time, just focus on that. Find something fun and meaningful, do it, and believe that things are going to be okay somehow, someday…” Seongwoo repeated his mantra that he said to himself every other day when his angst got the best of him.

He proceeded to perform the activities that made him feel better at these times when sleep failed him. He shut the blinds first so that he didn’t have to see the children and recall unnecessary things that increased his mountains of misery. He read half of a mystery novel while listening to music. He watched a lecture while playing the drums. He drew exact copies of characters in his sketchbook from his favorite comic book. He watched a couple episodes of an old Korean drama his mother used to rave on and on about.

 After doing all of that, he finally was able to rid himself of the restlessness and unpleasant thoughts. He fell asleep curled up in the fetal position on his side with his hands as a pillow.

 

 

Seongwoo was dreaming of flying over Jeju island when a knock came on his door. He was smiling happily and it was genuine. Until, that was, he saw his bare arm with vertical dark pink and white lines defiling the snowy skin.

He jerked up into a sitting position and looked above the TV as he pulled his sweater past his palms. There was something that looked like a digital clock but it was actually used here like a timer, signaling how much time was left before he was scheduled to start his shift. The black screen contained glaring red letters reading ‘on air in :05:23.’ Read out loud as five minutes, twenty-three seconds.

“Shit,” he cursed, slipping out of bed. “Wait! I need a minute or two to get ready.”

“Were you still sleeping? Sorry to disturb you.”

Seongwoo ran to the mirror, pulling off lint and straightening out his grey turtle neck.

“No, no. That’s my bad. Thanks for coming early. I would get serious points deducted if I was late again.” He spoke loud enough to be heard to his co-worker on the other side of the door as he finished righting his clothes then got to fixing his make-up.

Husky, pleasant to the ears laughter followed. “Are you usually late these days? How many points get deducted?”

“20% actually.”

A long whistle sound came. “Harsh. Hurry up then, you turtle.”

Seongwoo's handsome face was reflected in the mirror, skewed slightly from an annoyed scowl but a far cry from unattractive. “I am! Stop talking if you are that concerned about my points. And that's turtle hyung to you!”

There was finally silence from the other side of the door. The deep, accented sound from the Korean man he was scheduled to work with was gone temporarily. Seongwoo finished fixing his light make-up and styled, wavy hair, then made his bed roughly, and straightening up his desk at lightning speed. He opened up the door just a few seconds before the timer letters switched from ‘on air in :01:45’ to ‘on air’. Seongwoo looked out his open door with a wide, inviting grin.

“Good evening.”

“Good evening to you, hyung. You sure look rested. More energetic than the last time I saw you.”

The dimpled, brilliantly smiling man on the cement doorstep was named Daniel Kang. He was a year younger than Seongwoo and been abducted in the same year but he’d been here a couple months longer than Seongwoo had been. He was younger but basically Seongwoo’s sunbae yet Daniel still insisted on calling him hyung at least before they started their performance. He said when they first met on set a year ago that they should still keep their customs such as age related politeness even if they were living in another country since they were, after all, the same nationality and he didn’t want to make their relationship unpleasant since that would make their job much harder to do.

Seongwoo couldn’t agree more with that--he had a hard time working with Sungwoon because of that very reason. Seongwoo didn’t dare say his name while on air though, just as he wouldn’t say his loud enough to be heard by the mics around the room anyway. It was one of Swing’s privacy rules. The cameras that broadcasted their interaction would be watched by all sorts of rich Chinese perverts that paid for access to the site but they would never be allowed to know their names. They only knew them by their room numbers (Seongwoo’s was room number 7)or by nicknames related to their features (Daniel’s being ‘Broad Shoulders’).

The TV in the room was turned on now as their greeting time took up the leftover minute--Swing’s controlled that just like they controlled everything else like the angles of the cameras, the volume of the mics, what appeared on the screen at one time, when the doors could be opened. Right then, it was a distant shot from a camera on the opposite wall, displaying them casually talking and grinning flirtily.

The blond man with the broad shoulders dressed casually in a red hoodie and Adidas trainers slipped into the room as Seongwoo gestured for him to come in with a friendly smile. Daniel walked into the room with a large back pack that made him look like a college student, which they both technically should have been at 21 and 22 years old.

“I’m always energetic when you come to see me. You’re a happy virus.”

“Am I? I guess anyone appears that way when you're forever a murky, abandoned in the rain sad kitten.”

Daniel laughed rather shyly, his almost fiercely handsome, sexy face turning adorable and several years younger when his dimples and bunny-toothed grin popped out. His almond shaped, dark eyes nearly closed shut when he smiled brightly, making the charming mole under his eye more apparent.

Seongwoo had to admit that Daniel was by far the most attractive of the Doms in the facility. He was the most appealing eye candy. He was also the most popular--loved by the Subs he visited as well as a large portion of their viewers. Which meant that Daniel was favorited by Swing and showered with gifts on top of his points.

He was the richest in points even before Seongwoo had arrived as if he we were made for broadcasting. Hence, he had the largest room, number 1, and he also had the most stuff inside of it. His clothes might appear simple but they were designer. Seongwoo recalled the prices of them in the catalogue. His jeans were worth 500 points and the shirt 800 points. Then, there was his cross earring, dog tag necklace, and his chain bracelet which cost in total no less than 3,000 points.

Seongwoo--also known as ‘Pretty Moles'-- had earned a lot of points as being one of the favorite Subs but his points and viewers spiked immensely when it was Daniel’s scheduled slot and he still couldn’t fathom the amount of love and favoritism Daniel had. The great thing about Daniel was though that you couldn’t hate him even if you knew he was superiorly more popular. He was the best at his job and he was just a kind, caring person through and through, when he was on camera and when he was off of it. Seongwoo didn’t consider anyone in the facility his friend but Daniel was one of the closest he could say to being something similar.

They had great chemistry--their humor codes matched, they could read each other’s mind during the act, they were great at making each other have a pleasant time doing something they would rather not be doing or could feel extremely awkward with someone you weren’t close to, and most importantly, after they went offline they would spend the night just chatting about random things for hours instead of sleeping. Among all the Doms, Seongwoo talked with Daniel the most after the cameras were switched off and thus he knew the most about him and also trusted him-- well, as much as someone could trust anyone in this business of survival of the fittest.

Usually he felt like a loner with his full guard up and it was every man for himself here but with Daniel he felt like over time, he could open up and rely on him somehow. Daniel was the only one he dared have half-assed, hypothetical escape talks with. He was the only one who tried to talk him out of self-harm when he had fits of darkness. He was also the only one who could read his eyes clearly, catching on a hint of sadness like an eagle on a mouse.

“Well, if I can make you a bit happier when I swing by, then that makes me happy as well. Since your smile seriously never disappoints me. As handsome as ever, hyung. Wah, your face is just the best. You never disappoint, your bare face is even more unbelievable.”

Seongwoo closed the door behind the man that walked in with bounds of natural confidence and swagger like he owned the whole world instead of just this facility. Daniel he heard had always been like that. Fearless and almost full of himself since even right after his abduction. A free-spirit firecracker hard to control. That's how he had risen to the top quickly.

 Swing got tired of trying to control him in the other service jobs. They put him here where they would have to fight with him less--often times literally-- and he could easily bring in money. He was popular with older Chinese men, the Biggies. People bought premium membership on the expensively black market site and the more views on his channel the better because of the ads from various famous brands. People didn't know it like those families downstairs but Daniel in just a couple of hours a day helped the whole country's economy and got them hundreds of product orders per week.

“I am pleased not to disappoint the favorite of our group. How may I continue to please you? That I'm curious of.”

“You're on the right track just by breathing. But removing some of that baggy, shapeless clothing would help.”

Seongwoo bit his cheek to prevent his smile growing too large and brattily narrowed his eyes.

“You're not going to lecture me about my clothing choices again, are you? I happen to be fond of this brand and wearing a size up feels comfortable. You wouldn't want me agitated from being uncomfortable when you so rarely come by.”

Daniel tossed his bag down and winked.

“I sure would not. There's only one way I like to see you agitated, hyung. And you will see that soon enough. For now, it's better to see you cutely smiling. Looking like a whole angel.”

Seongwoo giggled and flushed deeply despite himself. He was better at dealing with compliments when he was in character mode but Daniel was difficult to act with because his comments were so outlandish, cheesy, and felt genuine.

“Starting out cheesy as usual. You sure do like to butter up your partners.”

“I do. Buttering you up makes you all the tastier when snack time comes. And slipperier which of course makes my duty a hell of a lot easier.”

 As they casually talked, the TV zoomed in on them moving to the bed and stripping off their clothes. Daniel left his pants and accessories on. His bare feet were even sexy and large but that was nothing compared to his wide shoulders, tan skin, veiny strong arms, and toned chest. He was mouthwateringly hot to anyone's standards. There was likely not a Sub here that had to force themselves to find something attractive about Daniel that would make their job much easier to get through. Seongwoo was the same; another helplessly seduced lamb on the favorite's chopping block.

He had slipped off his trainers and had his hands on his uplifted sweater, pausing to admire and drool over Daniel's amazing body. He blinked several times at the chiseled abs he never grew tired of. He wished that he had the diligence and interest in exercise that Daniel had so he could make some of his own and appear more masculine. He did have some definition from his dancing days but next to that Terminator body, he was like a baby.

 Daniel told him that on his free time he spent most of the day exercising in his room. Seongwoo wasn't allowed to the see other's rooms but Daniel had told him it looked like a gym. It was his way of relieving stress and getting prepared for the future. He joked about how he would escape one day with him and that he would need to fight off the guards on his own twice as hard since Seongwoo was such a wimp. Seongwoo figured he was not serious but he still took offense to that comment so for a while he had exercised but nothing much changed so he had given up, remaining envious of Daniel's perfect physical and impressive strength.

Daniel played with his bracelet, casually flexing his bulging biceps and making his steel-like pecks dance to drive Seongwoo's mind hazy and set his body on fire, smirking arrogantly. “Every time, it's the same. Once I go shirtless, your eyes are glued there, looking like a starved wolf. You don't get used to it or sick of it even twice a week?” He teased.

Seongwoo smiled guiltily, tearing his eyes up to somewhere more appropriate and calming (Daniel was largely popular because of his duality, his stacked body didn't really match his youthful, puppy face). “I guess not. I must really be an ab man.”

“Well, I don't really mind that. They are here for your entertainment. Ogle to your heart's content. Better yet…”

The sexy blonde grabbed Seongwoo's wrist with surprising gentleness as he had perfect control and stepped closer. Seongwoo found his hand splayed across the hard bumps. He bit his lip and dug his fingers into the warm smooth skin, softly groaning. Daniel's body really felt as nice as usual. It did wonderful things to his senses which made the acting part of his job a piece of cake because at least with Daniel he did not have to really force himself to get hard.

He whispered low and seductive, “Touch them. You know what I like by heart by now.”

“Indeed I do. Just like you do...” the elder whispered back. Then he cleared his throat and reluctantly removed his hand. “How was your day? What were you doing next door? It was pretty noisy and not from the usual.”

Seongwoo wiggled out of his frumpled shirt the rest of the way, leaving him in a pair of dark blue boxer briefs, tossing the clothes on his desk chair.

Daniel licked his lip and brushed the back of his fingers across Seongwoo's curvy, slim waist with desire pooling in his attractive, chocolate eyes. It took him awhile to answer the casual question.

“Ah, with Ji--the guy in six, you mean?”

Seongwoo had heard him with his neighbor, Jihoon, last night. That was one thing that made him restless. He had forgotten the order of his scheduling because he usually didn't care about the ordering of the Doms which came on average twice a week. He was with Sungwoon last night when he had heard the excited voices from Jihoon's room.

He knew from the intensity of the moans that it could only be Daniel. Daniel was the only one skilled enough at getting that out of Jihoon who was in general hard to please. Sungwoon had paused on top and asked him with irritation why he was distracted and not seeming to enjoy himself. To be honest, Seongwoo didn't enjoy performing with Sungwoon much at all. He was quick, jerky, shallow, and rough with his movements so the act was not much enjoyable. However, he was professional level at making it so that the broadcast wasn't boring at least.

Not last night though. When he realized that Daniel would be coming over the next day and started getting curious what he was doing with Jihoon, then he had become extremely distracted. That made the broadcast lose viewers and Sungwoon pissed off at him more than usual. He had refused to even stay the night after the failure of a broadcast ended while Seongwoo was left with a mix of emotions. Regret at failing to put on a good performance and earn a decent amount of points. Envy at the laughter coming from the other room from the two that played games and joked like the best of friends. Excitement that the time was coming soon for him to see Daniel again.

 The Doms in his schedule these days were Minhyun, Daniel, Woojin(just once every two weeks), and Sungwoon. Minhyun was a decent guy he was somewhat attracted to and they had a lot in common to talk about plus he was pretty sweet and quirky. Sungwoon was the total opposite of him and they had next to no common ground plus he had a temper so they often ended up arguing or irritating each other offline. He was happy that Sungwoon took the reduction in points by going to his room to sleep (usually the Doms stayed the night six days at their designated Subs place so swing saved money on electricity). Woojin was barely an adult and too childish for his tastes though he was not unkind.

Daniel, however, was the only one that he looked forward to working with and didn't mind letting into his private space. Because Daniel was the only one that could bring out genuine reactions and allow him to have a good time. He didn't have to fake his enjoyment with Daniel. He made him laugh, he put his nerves and shyness at ease, he made him feel good with showers of honest sounding compliments, and he was a gentle, passionate, considerate lover more than anything.

 He was not sure how Daniel felt but when they were together, there was something that just clicked that seemed not the same as with other pairings. Their videos were the most popular. Being with Daniel got him twice the amount of views and points than with others. That was just the added benefit being able to enjoy someone's company and on top of that getting benefits from it.

It was nice to feel like he wasn't working when he was on the job for once. Like he was being visited by his boyfriend and just making love like usual, joking and chatting over drinks after. He felt like it was so normal with him, like a friends with benefits sort of deal instead of forced pornography.

 It irritated him that Daniel probably made the other Subs like his friends Jihoon and Jisung feel that way as well. He wanted to be special to Daniel like Daniel was to him. He didn't know why since it hardly mattered in the scheme of things as long as he was making decent points and still number one of the Subs in viewer and membership rankings. However, it was sort of like sharing your best friend when you're a teenager; that sort of irritating, prickly, unpleasant feeling.

For all accounts, Daniel was something like his best friend here. It just so happened to be one that he thought was insanely attractive and was required to fuck around with on camera on an eight times a month basis.

Speaking of fucking, the glaring, blinking ‘on air’ seemed to be reminding him of that. It was taking them too long to undress and get started. They would get points docked or negative feedback from frustrated, displeased viewers if they waited much longer to start foreplay. He wouldn't stand for that. He had things he was saving up for as well as pride, ridiculous as it was to have as a prisoner.

“We were relieving stress by playing games. Just the usual.”

That was usual? He couldn't recall. Maybe he had been listening to music the last time so he missed they were playing games. There was something about Daniel's smirk though. He decided he would let it go and grill him about it later offline. Since their time was precious right then and as professionals they needed to do their jobs properly with full focus.

 He stepped closer as Daniel gently cupped his wrists, directing his hands over his pecks to his thick collar bone and then neck. Seongwoo linked them there and arched his back so their stomachs and thighs pressed together. Daniel slid his hands with ease around his waist and held him close and sweet. Daniel turned and easily found his embarrassing scars, kissing over each jagged, faded mark as if his lips contained healing powers, which in a way Seongwoo felt they did. It almost made Seongwoo melt as his knees went weak and he smiled softly.

He loved the way Daniel helped him like he was too precious to be kept far away but too fragile to handle roughly. It did things to him. He felt like that was the way anyone would desire to be held. He was sure though that it was just part of his endless skill set. He didn't let himself be delusional. Daniel likely held everyone like they were his adored lover. Anything to make the act more fun and therefore tolerable and believable, getting him more points and keeping him on top of the food chain.

 Seongwoo hated that he admired that and also appreciated it. Kang Daniel was irresistible and always had been and likely would be. He stared at his mouth as he talked, fingering his short, silky blond locks hungry for a kiss. The TV was zoomed on their faces, clearly showing the world how much Seongwoo wanted Daniel in that instant making him flush with embarrassment.

“What were you doing? Napping all day?”

“Actually I have had a hard time sleeping. I was writing and drawing and stuff.”

“Sorry to hear your insomnia is back. I'm curious about your newest masterpieces, Picassong. Will you show me later?”

“No.”

Daniel pouted. Seongwoo curled his toes and bit his smirking lip. He wanted to kiss him even more terribly when he did that. He pressed into the younger and tugged his hair, a clear signal that Daniel ignored for the sake of tension building or because he could be a brat that liked to tease his hyung and really make him beg. He found that show of weakness from the prideful, cool man amusing and added to his ego.

“Why not?”

“Because the last time you laughed at me for being a sentimental hopeless romantic. Plus, you drew something in one minute that looked better than what I painstakingly tried to follow for over an hour, utterly humiliating me.”

Daniel snickered, brushing up and down his spine like soothing a hissing cat. “Aigoo. You haven't gotten over that? This kitty still can hold a grudge. What a cutie.”

Seongwoo scrunched up his face. Daniel knew he preferred handsome, sexy, and manly to being called pretty or cute. Especially right before they started. It got him more in the mood and he gave a better performance. It was unusual for him to tease him on camera. He was breaking their silent brotherly code of conduct.

 

 

CAUTION!!!! Heavily Rated Warning (this is rather non-consensual which is the main reason why this theme is dark but I promise that they do have attraction for each other and enjoy it beyond acting so it makes it a bit less wrong? But if you don't like the idea of pornography Ongniel, it's better to skip)

 

In apology, Daniel immediately showered him with the words he wanted to hear as if he could read his thoughts through his eyes. Seongwoo smiled and the tenseness left his body. Daniel shook his head with a grin before swooping in to give him a passionate kiss that took his breath away. The dormant sexual tension spiked up through the roof instantly, nearly suffocating them.

What they were known for then occurred--a frenzy of tongues and caressing groping wandering hands. Daniel swallowed Seongwoo's sweet moans as he slid his hands down to grip his pert, small bottom and pulled him flush against him. Seongwoo raked his hands across Daniel's wide shoulders, lightly scratching his sweet spots, sucking on his diving, twisting tongue with relish.

A minute later of that, Daniel tossed Seongwoo on the bed and landed on him, nestled between his spread legs. They grinded slowly as their mouths tangled and their hands scraped along chests, twisted and flicked taut, coffee colored nipples, caressed lean and muscular thighs, and tugged at blonde and raven hair.

They couldn't seem to get enough of each other but it wasn't the least bit over the top or fake seeming. The TV shot the couple indulging wildly on the bed from various angles meant to show their passion and attractive features to the max in order to fulfill these Korean idol obsessed perverts’ every fantasy.

Seongwoo wondered as Daniel hotly kissed down his neck, chest, and tummy when it was that he had started to enjoy gay sex. As a teenager, he had barely had a girlfriend so the world of sex was unfamiliar to him outside a bit of porn. When he had entered, it had been at risk or sort of forced on him. He had had no good memories of it but he wasn't exactly unable to come from it or perform it when he'd come here.

Daniel had shown him another world that other Doms hadn't through their first night and so he had a special spot for him in that sense. After he'd first lain with Daniel who treated him like his precious lover, he had good memories of it and was able to open up more. Now he knew what was needed to have a good time with sex and he utilized it. At least with Minhyun, Woojin, and Sungwoon he could use some tricks to make it decently enjoyable. But with Daniel even more so with every time he visited it went way beyond decent to insanely enjoyable.

Seongwoo gripped the pillow and writhed as his body was set ablaze by Daniel's marking, scorching licks and bites at his tummy, his hands expertly fingering his sensitive thighs and curled-up balls. He was already turned on enough to cry but he forced himself not to. He simply closed his eyes tight and moaned instead.

“Hmm, that feels so good. What do you even do that feels this amazing?”

 “I'm just loving you, babe, that's all. Just showing how I feel with motions.”

“Ugh, there you go again with the sugary words. Casanova.”

The sweet words always got to him. Daniel knew exactly how to amp up the intensity of what he felt by fueling the romantic act. Seongwoo got through these nights by playing characters. He pretended that the person being intimate with him was someone he loved dearly and knew extremely well. Otherwise, he might be driven insane thinking of the perverse sin it really was -- forced paid sex between strangers for some creeps’ viewing pleasure, an ugly system he couldn't escape from that was so incredibly immoral. An image of his scars popped up in his mind but he held Daniel tighter so he wouldn't look at the faint white lines left near his elbow. Sometimes they more than just embarassed or made him uncomfortable--they down-right terrified him.

 “I am a people pleaser, what can I say?” the younger jumped up, making Seongwoo gasp when his hand boldly grabbed his crotch. “A Seongwoo pleaser actually,” he whispered so the mics would not pick it up.

Sometimes they whispered each other's names or private conversations in the middle of the broadcast like that. Seongwoo shivered. He liked hearing his name in that sweetly husky, accented voice. He liked it way more than was rational.

“It would please me if you didn't move like a turtle. Stop teasing me and get on with the good stuff so my mind doesn't have a chance to go elsewhere…” he licked and nipped Daniel's ear before whispering his name back super slow and sensual in revenge.

 That made Daniel shiver and clearly stiffen. He was affected in a similar way. It was a shame they couldn't shout out each other's names in the throws of climax though as normal couples would. He sort of wanted to know what that's like.

 “Oh, you mean, like this?” Daniel moved down wearing a coy, crooked grin, peeling his boxers swiftly to his knees.

Seongwoo covered his face nervously as his genitals were suddenly exposed and chilled. It wasn't fully an act. He was rather shy when naked in front of the cameras, especially with Daniel since their bodies were different and Daniel could be so intense. He wondered here and there if Daniel was just saying that or he really did like his lithe, lean body best. Not that it matters in the large scheme, he reminded himself.

 Daniel smirked, then wasted no seconds more. He pulled Seongwoo's dick deep into his mouth and started bobbing and slurping enthusiastically. Seongwoo smacked the bed and rolled his hips up as shocks charged through his every nerve and cut all ties in his functioning brain.

“Ah! Yes! Good!” He cried out in glee, u able to hold back if he wanted to.

The TV showed a cut scene of a close up of the blonde and brunette's heads separately. It was quite erotic, bordering on lude. The name of his partner got caught in his throat as he became overwhelmed with pleasure and the happiness it brought. That's what a good blow job could do and his were the best of the best. He had learned dozens of tips from the number one.

“Ahn, hmm. Sorry. I don't know why I can't hold back today.”

 Daniel wiped his smiling mouth, his eyes twinkling as he gazed down at the flushing, embarrassed man.

“That's okay. I take it as a compliment. You were really feeling it today.”

 Seongwoo looked away while covering his grinning mouth as he came up closer and slipped his jeans off. “Yeah, I guess I was.. “

He pretended not to know when Daniel asked curiously why but he had some idea it was because of last night.

“Don't worry. I'll get you again even better this time.”

Seongwoo chuckled. “Trying to kill me?”

“No, but you might get a cramp or two, old man.”

Seongwoo swatted his ample backside for the tease about his lacking stamina. Daniel bit his lip as a moan slipped out, his narrowed eyes sparking with desire. Seongwoo acted coy while chewing on his stinging fingertips and slicking back his damp hair.

“Woops, I forgot you have a thing for spanking.”

Daniel pinned up his wrists in one hand and spread his legs, pinning them with his thighs. “You're going to pay for that,” he growled.

 “Hmm, I'm hoping so. It was completely my intention to rile you up. Just look at how hot you are now.”

They turned their heads towards the TV screen they had forgotten about. The high definition image of their tangled bodies, flushed faces, swollen lips, and lustful eyes excited them twice over. Seongwoo eagerly tossed his head to expose his throat as Daniel dived for it. Daniel took revenge on him by sucking hard on his neck and gently but rawly fingering him with his thick, lengthy middle finger. A few minutes later Seongwoo couldn't take the torture anymore.

He rasped, “I want you inside me. Please. I'm sorry I was a brat. I'll be nicer.”

The finger was removed with a plop as Daniel pecked his most recent marking on Seongwoo's snowy neck.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, anything. Within reason. I'm not going to kill anyone. Or worse yet, cosplay.”

Seongwoo almost snorted but they were in the middle of a distracting, intimate session his humor found no room for. He gave a slow once over along the blonde's statuesque body he oddly wanted terribly for something not fully consensual, biting bashfully on his fingers as he considered how and if he should say what he had been thinking of off and on since last night.

“Give me what you were serving yesterday. But with extra oomf.”

 Daniel looked at him for several moments in confusion. Then he smiled in amusement as it dawned on him that Seongwoo wasn't talking about the innocent games he'd played with Jihoon but their more wild, naughty session before that and nodded.

“That's what you want babe, then you got it. We aim to please in this place, after all. Especially for the extra sweet and pretty ones who deserve it most.”  

“Uh, ng, it shocks me every time how massive and girthy you are. It's like getting fucked by a horse,” Seongwoo weakly gasped out, his entire body hot and tense as Daniel laid over him and filled his empty core with his large cock.

Daniel rubbed his thighs and nuzzled his cheek, using his usual sweet, comforting tricks to get the elder to relax and let him in deeper. They sighed in relief as he slid in the rest of the way and they embraced. Daniel chuckled and kissed his unique, pretty moles as a subtle shift made Seongwoo moan in a wanton fashion.

 “Seems you're into beastiality then because you like me like this. No condom, no lube, little prep.”

“I do indeed. I like you a lot, your amazing cock is just a bonus.”

“I like you too. You're so beautiful and sexy and funny. What's not to like? Someone would have to be blind and heartless to not fall for you.”

The words were romantic but they were missing any genuine feeling, or so Seongwoo thought since his were mostly empty. It was all for the viewers--a believable performance. Of course the viewers knew that none of them were in a relationship. However, they were paying special amounts for the extra service of their acting to make the scheduled hours together believable and therefore more thrilling.

The two mature professionals were not fooled by it, of course. They were friendly and they could admit they were unusually attracted to each other so they clicked sexually and barely had to fake it, but something like genuine love? They couldn't afford that emotion even if they understood it. They had been captured when they were young and put through hell and were busy dealing with their inner struggles, thinking of a way to get out of this situation, seeing people come and go in their lives like meaningless bugs.

They weren't close to having loved anyone and they had certainly never had a relationship in their time during captivity. Seongwoo had never had more than a couple weeks worth of a relationship as a gawky, bashful teenager. He was pretty sure Daniel had been popular with women and had some experience judging by how he was so caring and eloquent.

 “Same to you. Not a thing to dislike. Except that you're annoying at times.”

Daniel playfully bit his pointed chin, squeezing his pinned arms to hide his unsightly scars from the camera above and shifting purposefully again. Seongwoo closed his eyes, moaned, and pressed up, back arching and toes curling. That felt amazing. Daniel filled and stretched him to the brim with solid warmth. It made him feel blissful and complete which was nice for a change. Any sort of excitement or warmth that reminded him he was alive and it was a good thing was better than numbness or soul crushing misery which plagued him with thoughts of the opposite.

Usually he felt lonely, insecure, and he was easily chilled no matter how many thick layers of clothes he wore since there wasn't any heating on in the buildings for them. Swing controlled that and could even force the lights off if they desired. There were guards, watching every move and keeping track of their expenses and activities for appraisal. They could be scolded for doing something over a certain limit or that brought risks to their bodies such as excessive drinking and eating.

“At least I don't suck at math. Seriously 180 and 360 degrees. How do you get that confused? You didn't know the square root of nine even.”

 “It's three!” Seongwoo retorted in a defensive, haughty tone.

Daniel chuckled as he licked at the cleft on his chin and grazed his fingers over his ribs individually like he was playing an instrument. “No use knowing now. You just memorized it in case I teased you about it again. What's the square root of one hundred then?”

“It's...shit. I didn't study that high. No fair.”

Seongwoo pouted, eyes almost teary and face flaming from a mix of lust, heat, and shame. Daniel laughed again, murmuring one of his go-to endearing nicknames ‘cute pabo with a genius face’ just before attacking his pouting seal lips.

“Yah, you brute~” Seongwoo lightly chided, overwhelmed by the sudden roughness that Daniel displayed.

“You said you wanted what I was giving the guy next door yesterday. Did you not realize what that entailed?” He teased.

 “Neh?” Seongwoo blinked at him and then stopped pushing him away. “Oh. In that case, proceed with your beastly maneuvers. If it feels good…”

Daniel smiled crookedly, full of confidence and sexier than ever. Seongwoo grew mezmerized by the dog tags dangling and shining above him and reached up to play with the cool silver as he stared beyond that to the man's attractive, tasty neck with the protruding adam's apple he had sucked on on many occasions with Daniel hovering over him going about his business. It was incredibly tasty and even the thought caused his mouth to water.

The thought of doing something in a new way was slightly terrifying. The one thing that kept him functional and at ease was having a routine he could trust in. Him and Daniel had a good one going, though they changed up the order and added a bit of flair. They got loud and passionate and grabby. They had not, however, had Daniel go rough on him. Seongwoo didn't like pain and Daniel was massive and super strong. He might get torn or broken, which would put him out of commission and cause him to miss out on the points.

As soon as he mentioned it though, Seongwoo found himself agreeing to add something new to their arsenal out of curiosity and bravery he hadn't known he had. Why should Jihoon get something he didn't? The feeling didn't sit well in his tummy.

“I guarantee it feels good. I'll just give you a taste then and you can tell me if you want to amp up the intensity. You know that I won't pressure you or take you beyond what you're comfortable with. Okay, baby?”

Seongwoo nervously gulped and nodded in agreement, his heart racing with excitement and anxiety combined. Daniel held his wrists to the bed more firmly and kissed him hard, delving his tongue in deep.

With just that, he held the other prisoner figuratively. Seongwoo was overwhelmed with pleasure and too weak to bother fighting back. He liked being submissive and that was his role, that was how he was classified and he didn't really mind following the role since he felt like it suited him best.

Daniel started to thrust like he was trying to hammer through a wall, forcing Seongwoo's legs all the way back to his chest, his hip bones digging into his thighs with each fierce slam. The room was full of harsh slapping sounds and Seongwoo's cries.

“Okay?”

“Ye-s... I like it I t-think...” he muttered weakly between gasps.

“Good. Shall I increase the intensity?”

Seongwoo's eyes popped open. “Wait, fuck...There's more? Even rougher? How's that possible...”

"Oh, it's possible. You can surely take a bit more than this. Unless you want to admit to being the weakest of the subs, even more so than number 6, Wink Boy?" 

Daniel smirked evilly. The next thing he knew Seongwoo was being lifted and flipped effortlessly. Daniel held one wrist behind his back and forced his legs closed, locking them in place with his own. Then, he proceeded to dive in, thrusting harder and faster than before. Seongwoo was blown away and could hardly think. All he knew was incredible amounts of pleasureful aches as his prostate was slammed into.

 “Ah-- oh god--Babe--”

“Seems you like it. More?”

Seongwoo didn't dare say something. His whines were shameful enough. Daniel paused to lean in and lick his ear, smoothly stroking down his arched spine as if petting a purring cat. Seongwoo could see his wolfish, attractive grin close-up on the TV when he glanced that way.

“I think I really like you like this. You're extremely cute and how sensitive you are makes this even more intense than with others. I might just fall for you if you keep being this lovely. Let's just see how loud and wild we can get you.”

“Wait--fuck, you're going to kill me--” Seongwoo huffed and arched, pressing himself close as Daniel swirled inside of him.

 Daniel slapped his taut, pale behind admiring the red mark afterwards. Seongwoo gasped and dropped his head, jerking back against him in desperation for more friction.

“Definitely worse ways to die.”

“I need you. Move please…” the elder whined in a whiney, desperate tone.

Daniel rubbed his sore ass as his fingers glided through dark waves. “No worries. We’re far from finished playing, kitty. I have yet to unload even once.”

On average, they could go at this for hours until they had come 2-3 times both. By then, they were exhausted, their limbs were like jelly, their genitals were tingly and aching from overuse, and they were completely pleasured out. Seongwoo held the headboard as Daniel gripped his hair and thrust hard enough to make the bed scoot forward and get the edge to bang into the wall.

Seongwoo was the loudest that he'd ever been. Usually he preferred not to dirty talk or make a lot of obscene noises that sounded exaggerated. He only moaned softly depending on how good he felt, usually half of that even a bit exaggerated because he wasn't feeling all that great. He was loudest with Daniel but even Daniel had never seen him like this--so impassioned, vocal, and wild. It was likely the neighborhood two rooms down Jisung could hear him. The pain and pleasure combined in an intense explosion that made it so Seongwoo barely knew who he was or where anymore.

“More, yes! Good, oh yes~ Like that, right there! Harder! Good, good good that's good~ See, baby, that's driving me crazy. Yes, there, there, there!” 

Daniel stopped to flip him over, treating him like a rag doll but being as ever extremely careful to control his strength and not harm the slender man. Seongwoo groaned in complaint, a shaky hand wiping his sweaty forehead as Daniel pulled away and the harsh friction stopped. So did the bangs of the bed against the wall.

“Hey, I didn't want you to stop.” Seongwoo's tone matched his irritated, disappointed face. "I can still take it. I haven't admitted defeat just yet."

Daniel licked his lips as he stroked over his baby and, staring hungrily at the bed of curly black hair. “Sorry, I wanted to taste you again. This delicacy is such a waste on the sheets.”

 Seongwoo would have flushed with embarrassment at the scandalous comment that only came from a truly destined Dom like Daniel if only he had any shade darker to go. Daniel had complimented his sweet tasting cum on many occasions but it never felt hotter than right then.

 “Shouldn't we take this a bit slower?” he asked with shaky, shallow breaths, his body tingling in excitement.

 It was unusual for him to come twice in less than an hour. He didn't like seeming incompetent or selfish or weaker than the Dom. Neither had yet to come once. It was partially his duty to drive him crazy and top from the bottom as well at least in one or two moments of their act. The viewers liked variety and those that were watching had various tastes for them to try to appeal to. If they wanted to continue being the most successful couple and reaping the benefits, they were going to need to continue thinking of their performance logically, scientifically. It was a waste to have chemistry off the charts like this without utilizing it to its fullest extreme.

Daniel wasn't listening to reason, however. It seemed almost like he had gotten into the zone and forgotten about the cameras which sometimes happened with them. Seongwoo was guilty of it as well. Earlier like when he had gone to another plane of existence for a few minutes with the new sensations. He was not at all sure what he had said or done and he wasn't sure his pride wanted to know.

Daniel dived down without answering his concerned question. Again his name got caught in his throat and Seongwoo hated not being able to say it because it was such a nice sounding name and got the man to listen to him better when he became carried away like this.

 He was unable to protest verbally once Daniel's mouth was on his pulsing, leaking cock again. He flicked his tongue, sucked, and bobbed, hallowing his fluffy cheeks. Seongwoo held on to his head for dear life and rolled up his hips as a haze washed over him and his body heated. The center of his stomach burned as it knotted tighter and tighter.

Daniel watched him with satisfaction and as soon as their desire-crazed eyes made contact, Seongwoo lost all control. He pressed Daniel's head down and thrust deep into his throat, bursting suddenly. Daniel let the liquid pool before swallowing it so he could get a good taste, closing his eyes in bliss. Hot, large hands kneaded his small, sore cheeks, lifting his lower body up off the bed.

Seongwoo pet the damp hair on his neck, huffing and moaning through his incredible release. Then, his entire body went limp, head falling back on the pillow. He panted, staring up at the ceiling dizzily, sapped of all energy. Daniel came up to his side, wiping his mouth and then proceeding to stroke and rub his hard cock on Seongwoo's bony hip.

Seongwoo turned to his side, wrapped a leg around him and nestled in close for the usual just-after orgasm cuddles he preferred. As usual, Daniel obliged him and didn't demand attention. He was a patient, kind sort like that.

“Rest a bit. Just don't fall asleep on me. I'll stay ready for whenever you get your strength back. You now owe me two.”

He kissed and nuzzled his forehead. Seongwoo's eyes drifted closed despite he was fighting that. He felt so at ease and safe in Daniel's arms after sharing intimacy, even when he was half-assed cameras were still rolling and invading their private moment.

“Now I feel bad. You know about my lack of stamina and how good you are at holding back. Why did you get me so good from the very beginning?”

“Slow builds are nice but you asked for this and I was just pleasing you. Because I like you.”

Seongwoo ignored his fluttering heart. Don't take those words to heart, he reminded himself, stamping down the feeling. He was acting just like how he himself acted--saying empty things for show. They were doing what they needed simply to survive. This much was necessary as well as boundaries between professionals. Once the camera was up, the sweet boyfriend visiting from out of town play would be over and their interactions would appear quite differently.

“I like you too. That's why I don't need much rest. At least not until I get you once. Then, we can take a short rest together.”

Seongwoo pushed down his hand so he could slowly stroke as well, enjoying the contrast of silky smooth and hard as granite.

“Hmm, you don't need to, hyung. I'm good at waiting.” Then, he whispered into his ear for him only. “Seongwoo-yah, that feels nice though. I wouldn't mind if you kept going because my balls are starting to hurt...”

Seongwoo chuckled. That was what he figured. Daniel acted tough and saintly but no one really was good at going long periods turned on no matter how masculine they appeared.

 

 

They chatted in whispers about nothing until Seongwoo felt rested enough to sit up. Then, he asked Daniel to get in a sitting position and climbed into his lap. They slid together easily like they were puzzles designed to be a perfect fit. Daniel caressed his hip and the small of his back, sighing in bliss. Seongwoo cradled and fingered his fluffy cheeks as he observed his handsome face with a serene grin. He liked how cute Daniel looked just then. It was a unique, sexy sort of cute only he could pull off.

“Hmm, S-so nice, hyung. You're always impressing me with how warm and tight you are still.”

“It's my specialty. I could tell you my secret but I'd have to kill you.”

“If it's in the middle of an orgasm like this, please go on right ahead.”

 “I don't think that's possible but I'll try to do something that will let you peek through the gates of heaven for several seconds.”

 “Sounds promising.”

They hugged each other and Daniel helped him to bounce up and down upon his knees. They whispered around their soft moans that could not be picked up by the cameras so easily.

 “Let's escape, Seongwoo. I have a plan in action. I need you in on it.”

 “First of all, not a good idea to discuss now. Second of all, you weren't joking?”

“No I wasn't. It's a great plan. We're getting help from the outside in various ways.”

“Why can't you tell me this in an hour or two? When we aren't being recorded?”

“I brought some things I'm going to leave here under your bed. In the bag I brought so there's two here.”

“You've been gathering quite the ridiculous collection. I was starting to think you suffered memory loss because you always leave something here and forget to bring it back to your room.”

“That was on purpose. All stuff that will come in handy later.”

“When are you planning to go? What's the plan? Who's in on it?”

Daniel kissed him to stop the flow of questions. They continued to work as they kissed with messy fervor.

“We're talking too much. Things will get suspicious. Later when we're off air.”

 Silently, Seongwoo was grateful. His legs were shaking and his ass was starting to get extremely sore since they were again not using lubricant. They focused on getting Daniel to climax fully from then instead of killing the time they had to be performing. Honestly, three hours a day was too long to be having sex continuously. It was inhumane. But then again, what system would be surprising with the heartless people that abducted korean teenagers and tire them away from their families in order to make money off their appearance?

 “Hmm, hyung, I'm close, keep going just a bit more. Feels great. Ah, baby.”

“Does it feel good? Don't hold back. I'll keep going. Come inside, babe, it's alright.”

Seongwoo didn't like the mess and it was policy to wear condoms often and get regular checkups to ensure they were clean and not fooling around elsewhere. They hadn't put one on this time though thoughtlessly. Seongwoo didn't want them to get in trouble for it so he decided not to make a fuss with it being his decision. That way they would only get a slight deduction.

Daniel was going to help him escape possibly which was his only dream for years. It was the least he could do in return. What a nice friend he was. And a friend who happened to be a terrific fuck.

The moans slipped out naturally and he lost himself in the role. It was as great as always feeling loved, adored, and genuinely connected with someone enough that not a single expression or sound was fake from him. It made him happy, even temporarily. On top of it, the moment of intense sensations and complex emotions gave him reassurance that he wasn't a broken robot. He could someday love someone and have a normal relationship. Once he got out of this hellhole and started to lead a normal life in his own society again, a much more decent one.

Daniel cradled his head and softly kissed him as he pushed him down hard so their thighs slapped together. “I love you, hyung,” he murmured as he did every time that he came, the ultimate way to butter up his partner and get to the viewers.

 It was a splash of romance to the hotness. Seongwoo stupidly found himself crying as he said it back though usually he didn't do either. The moment was somehow too intense.

 They kissed in a deep, emotional frenzy as the mood and pleasure of their perfect link overwhelmed them and took them to another time and place, the one in the story they created in their minds to get through forced sex with a near stranger. The kiss was just barely maintained as they held each other tight and thrashed together, feeling the rise in tension together.

 “Hyung…” Daniel choked and pressed his head to Seongwoo's collar, going still. “Ah, Seongwoo…”

 Seongwoo hugged him close and kissed his cheek as he rolled another minute over him as he came slowly, groaning and nuzzling the elder's neck, squeezing loosely around his back.

 “Oh wow...hyung…” Daniel rasped in awe.

“Hmm, what is it? Was that good for you?”

 “Yeah, you got me good that time. That was the best, freaking intense. So much came out. Sorry about the mess in advance.”

Seongwoo chucked scratching the suddenly very sweet, clingy man's damp hair with affection that almost felt convincing. He had almost lost himself there until he saw their image on the TV in the highs of their climax edited to further perfection and was reminded of the cruel reality. This amazing man was not his actually just as Seongwoo was not his either. Whatever they felt when they made love was a figment of their imagination-- pure survival instinct and natural, raw attraction that bordered on primal.

 “That's good then. We can worry about messes later. Seeing as we're not done yet.  I still owe you one.”

Daniel squeezed him close and kissed lightly along his collarbone. “Hmm, looking forward to it after a rest. I have good stamina but even I need a ten minute break here and there. Have mercy on an exhausted pup, Seongwoo-yah.”

 

 

An hour later, they were done with their session. The TV was turned off and the timer was switched to ‘off air’. As soon as that timer changed, so did the atmosphere between them. It cooled down considerably and got a quite a bit more awkward. It was always like that at first because they were friends but they kept recalling the hotness that just happened and those lingering, confusing feelings from getting too involved in their acting. 

They got dressed, barely looking at each other and then made the bed and sat on it, not talking for several minutes. Seongwoo eventually got up and went to his fridge. He had all the Doms’ favorite snacks and foods so that they could feel more comfortable and at home afterwards. It was the considerate thing to do. They didn't want to do those things or invade his space at night either. Probably the same with every single Sub. It was unavoidable. Thus, Seongwoo tried not to be too bitter towards them or blame them for his feelings of guilt and sin. That would cause unnecessary strain and unpleasantness between the Sub and Doms.

He pushed aside that feeling of how he was filthy for doing something meant to be sacred between two people who loved each other with someone he wasn't even crushing on as he opened the fridge. He came back to the bed with a Tsingtao and a bag of haribo mixed jellies. Daniel brightened when he saw what was in his hands, looking like a child or a puppy.

 “Thanks!”

Seongwoo smiled softly and chuckled. “You act surprised and grateful every time. My memory for math sucks, it's true, but not so for people. I didn't forget what you like or get you confused with the other guys. There's only a few of you anyway. Stop making it so obvious how helpless you think I am or I'm going to get angry.”

 Daniel smirked at his playful complaint, clearly about to tease him. Seongwoo was coming back with his own iced starbucks macchiato, thinking that he was running low on his own drink and would need to order more when Daniel spoke next.

 “You are a helpless pabo though, face it. Even Jisung said so. I heard you got lost on your way to the pharmacy and he had to help you out.”

Seongwoo slapped his hooded arm.

“Don't hit ME, hyung. Jisung's the one with the big mouth.”

 “I can't go to his room and do it though and you will see him tomorrow. Send this to him for me, alright? And this and this!”

Daniel turned around to grab his wrists, stopping him from swinging his arms, slapping his back. “That hurts, Ongcheongie.”

Seongwoo rolled his round, twinkling eyes at that plush, adorable pout that didn't at all match his usual swag. “You liar. You always call me a weakling. So, how could it hurt a big tough guy like you?”

“You are a weakling. It hurt my heart, I mean. I thought we were close friends.”

“We are but you don't get that many privileges like getting away with being a dick…”

Seongwoo pulled his hands away and flushed, unable to look at the blonde. It was somehow embarrassing to admit though it was true. He acted the nicest and felt the most comfortable being himself around Daniel. Though they hadn't reached that stage just yet where they could easily say they were close friends to others. It felt weird to say that as adults.

Daniel laid back in his single mattresses bed, watching him with a serene, patient sort of smile as he opened his snacks and beer. He would wait for Seongwoo to forget about their performance and get settled back into just casual friends mode. Eventually, Seongwoo put on some of their favorite music and leaned against the headboard next to him, sipping on his coffee. The distance and slight awkwardness had drastically faded.

 “So, tell me more about this escape plan.”

Daniel looked at him with an apologetic expression.

“I can't. Not here at least. We could be bugged here. We have Daehwi to protect us by providing us with blind spots and cutting off most of the audio, sure. But we can't fully trust him either,not yet. Let's just say my brother and other Doms and a guard is involved. And it's happening next month on one of the nights I see you. Prepare what is in the list I left you in the bag. I'll bring the rest of the things we need. I've ordered a lot but I have to spread it out in various rooms like I forgot it.”

Seongwoo munched on some dried banana chips. “You just want me to blindly follow you in this plan?”

 “Yes, that's right. I think I've earned your trust. You know basically everything about me. If there's something you want to know still, ask away. Not like I ever sleep much when I'm here.”

They both laughed lightly. That was true. The story of their abduction, what they were interested in in school, what restaurants were famous in the cities they grew up in, who was their first crush, when was their first kiss, what were they afraid of--whatever it was, they knew about it because they simply couldn’t seem to stop talking when they were together. Like they were the best of friends having a slumber party.

That night proved to be no different. They played card games, watched a drama, listened to music and danced like they were in a club, drank some beers and talked for hours until they passed out at dawn. The two that seemed like normal friends and put a distance between each other when they were off air never said anything but they both knew it was certainly a bit weird. They gravitated towards each other and woke up cuddling or spooning as if their lonely hearts were drawn towards each other. Seongwoo figured that it was that Daniel was the sort that was physically affectionate and loved to cuddle. He himself felt rather uncomfortable with skinship, even when he was a teenager. He would only snuggle up or hug unconsciously those that he trusted.

After that night when he woke up laying on Daniel’s chest with his leg thrown over the others, he decided that he did trust Daniel more than most others he had met stuck in the service jobs, at least enough to take the risk of joining him in an escape plan. What he knew of Daniel for sure was that he was a thorough, detail-oriented, mostly logical person. He wouldn’t go through with some half-ass plan that risked getting himself and others killed.

 Dying while fighting he was starting to think might be a better option than living another year as some perverts fantasy anyway. At least he wouldn't die by his own hands at the feeling of shame and being hopelessly caged with no definite, promising future in sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot I could tell you but I also don't want to be considered an author who spoils too much in author's notes yet again haha. So if you have a question I guess just message me on my twitter or aff through dms or leave an anon comment on my cc.
> 
> This is classified as dark and angsty but it's probably not as dark as you might have expected. It is dark mainly because of their situation and it is angsty because of Seongwoo and the walls each put up between each other blocking their relationship from developing. Also there will be quite a bit of action, thriller, and adventure as we go on. In general though, Ongniel are after one year of knowing each other pretty good friends with an intense attraction to each other and the most popular of the Sub-Dom partnerings on the black-list porn site. They've grown closer and less awkward over the months they've been together but they were not exactly friends instantly since Ong is very guarded. Ong especially feels comfortable and able to be open with Daniel, though he's not necessarily the only one. Ong has been fighting a long battle with depression and yes, he's attempted self-harm which we'll get into more later. 
> 
> I hope that it wasn't a super depressing chapter? I'd like to still think that because they have good chemistry and Daniel is a positive guy that tries to make others as happy as possible, that they still joke around and banter like real bros. My goal is to still make you able to laugh and cringe at the cheesiness here and there around their darker, stifling reality. They are a ray of light in a blackened tunnel that seems to have no end? Something like that.
> 
> I'm really nervous about people's reactions. I hope you will keep an open mind with this story. Tell me what you think so far~ Again, this is a whole new genre for me and I'm just putting things randomly out of my weird brain. Idk why I wanted to torture my babies like this aigoo. That's why I've skipped to the only 'happy' time in their lives the last four years or you might just cry super hard (I'll leave most of what they've been through to your imagination).
> 
> See you in a week or so~ I've got to put out other fics as well so maybe two, but hopefully one only.
> 
> *runs and hides out of fear (are ON shippers really ready for this kind of ON tho??)
> 
> <3 Raina


	3. The Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the team members comes into the picture (who mentions a connection with the other). That third member is a dom and the only other person who's sort of a friend of Seongwoo's. They discuss Daniel and Seongwoo's odd actions towards him a lot. Then, flashforward to the next scheduled meeting with Daniel for more fun broadcasting time.

“Was I doing something wrong today, Ongie? You seem more distracted and less into it than ever. I mean, I know that we don’t really click that way but usually your acting is much more convincing.”

Seongwoo flushed with embarrassment, turning to the equally dark-haired, fair-skinned, naturally slim, rather princely looking man with fox-shaped eyes in his bed. They had just switched to off air. He hadn’t even noticed that Minhyun had changed into his pajamas. He had been too busy pressing his ear as close to the wall as he could get around the headboard without appearing too obviously to be eaves-dropping.

Daniel was the Dom with Jihoon, he was sure. Which meant that tomorrow he’d be there. That caused him to grow excited and even when they’d been performing, Seongwoo found himself unknowingly listening in on their session. Him and Minhyun were both the quieter type, preferring to have a sensual yet clean, controlled session which suited their image and made them another popular coupling. Minhyun was also pretty good at acting and almost as good at Daniel at reading him emotionally and physically so people probably had some romantic fantasies of them in mind.

Seongwoo thought of Minhyun as a friend he could talk to about various things though he wouldn’t go spilling his deepest, darkest secrets somehow. Unlike Daniel, Minhyun was clearly a person that was guarded, protecting himself from possible harm by keeping parts of his personality, life, and thoughts only to himself. That was probably why he couldn’t fully open up to him though he had a feeling he was a good guy and in general liked him as a person.

“Sorry, I was just thinking of something.”

“Something, or someone?” he teased with a wiley smile on his pretty face.

Seongwoo’s flush deepened. He didn’t even understand why he was acting like a school girl. Had he always waited with such anticipation for Daniel to swing by? Why had he been unable to focus on his own work even close to orgasm, merely listening in on Daniel’s session with another and envying Jihoon? Was he lusting after him that badly?

He admitted, acting coy, “Someone, possibly.”

“Hmm, you started dozing off on me when the pair on the other side got loud. So, that means you’re either thinking of Jihoon or Daniel and wishing to be with them instead of me.” Minhyun wiggled his groomed brows and nudged him.

Seongwoo insisted, much louder than necessary, “No! I was just thinking they’re unnecessarily loud. I wasn’t dozing off on you. It felt good. I came, you know.”

“Sure, you always come. But you don’t ever go wild on me, Seongwoo. You aren’t that into me, I know that. You do as most of us do, using mind tricks and getting there through sheer force of will so you don’t get points deducted. I’m not offended. I’m not really all that into you either, so I have to do the same. I like men who are shorter and cuter and blush when I just look at them.”

“Sounds oddly specific,” Seongwoo joked as he scrambled for his usual trainers. “Is that fantasy type you use to get off with me based on your ex-boyfriend?”

The corner of the man’s thin lips tilted up. “Could be a current one. That is going to help us out of here.”

Seongwoo whipped around from fixing his hair and jumped on the bed. “You mean…?” he whispered.

Minhyun merely nodded, putting a finger over his mouth to tell him not to say anymore. Seongwoo realized then that Minhyun must be the Dom in on the escape that Daniel had mentioned. He wondered why it hadn’t been Woojin though. Woojin was street smart, brave, and strong. Surely he would be more useful in running away than Minhyun who was just as much of a pampered weakling as he was, except even more high maintenance.

Case in point, he had had to order a special pillow and towels for Minhyun to stay overnight. Seongwoo just did it because he grew tired of the constant point deduction which would cost him in the long run rather than that he was desperate for the man’s company, though he did prefer it to most others. Minhyun always brought over a bag full of beauty items he needed like skin care and sleeping packs. Seongwoo really had no right to complain since his flawless skin was thanks to Minhyun’s treatments and nagging. He hadn’t cared much about a few bumps and pimples here and there but Minhyun insisted on treating him like his own artist and it had been more annoying to try to fight him off so now he just went along with it.

“I’m glad that we’re not alone on this but now I’m curious what guard you’re seeing secretly. I have met them all I think, but I don’t recall anyone that meets that description.”

The brunette furrowed his eyebrows as he thought deeply over it, recalling every guard in his mind. Minhyun wore an infuriating smirk but refused to give him any more hints. At least he didn’t deny that he was in fact dating the guard that was helping them escape.

“Pack time~”

Seongwoo scrunched up his nose as he saw the plastic-wrapped pack that Minhyun took out of his bag was made from snail poop. “Oh, come on. It stinks.”

“It’s the best of the best. You’re seeing your lover boy tomorrow, so you better look your best.”

Minhyun winked as he swung the dripping, smelly mask close to him. Seongwoo dodged and kicked him lightly.

“I don’t need to look nice for him! Who really cares about our faces anyway? That’s not where they’re looking.”

“I’m pretty sure they’re always looking at your face, Ong. But why are you getting defensive? That’s pretty much admitting earlier you were indeed listening in on their session because you’re eagerly waiting for Daniel.”

“No, I wasn’t! I told you, I was just horrified at how loud they are. They didn’t need to fake it that much,” Seongwoo retorted with growing irritation, thankful the lights were dimmed so his hot ears wouldn’t be visible.

Minhyun pulled him down to the bed and forced the cold mask on despite Seongwoo’s whines and complaints. He gently smoothed it over every corner of his face with his fingertips and Seongwoo had no choice but to obediently lay there less he had to suffer something worse or got the smelly concoction on his bed in the struggle to rip it off. Oh, how Sungwoon the beauty and cosmetic addict would laugh at him now.

“Sounds more like to me you got jealous at the idea that it might not have been fake at all.”

Seongwoo decided not to comment, afraid that he might get found out from his tone of voice or word choice. He wasn’t fully certain that it wasn’t because of that anyway. He had felt a mix of emotions when he’d heard Jihoon and Daniel moaning just on the other side. He had wondered if Daniel enjoyed it more with Jihoon than him, if they also stayed up most of the night together, and if Jihoon woke up with Daniel’s massive, warm body smothering him. Somehow the idea that Daniel was like that with others upset him and that in turn worried him. Because it made him feel like all this acting and his loneliness was making him delusional, feeling irrational things he wasn’t allowed to feel in this business.

“Why would I be jealous? I admit Daniel is good at what he does and I’m attracted to him most of the Doms but that’s where I draw the line. We’re simply friends. Anything else you might hear or have seen is sheer acting. We use each other to get a large increase in points. We’re the most popular broadcast slot, after all.”

“Sure it’s just acting, Seongwoo? You’ve never felt like you wanted to be something more with any of us? Because it’s possible that always acting like you’re dating who you’re sleeping with might turn your feelings a bit complicated, especially after all these months.”

“Nope, not yet. I’m not confused with reality and fantasy so don’t worry,” he insisted, casting aside any wavering doubts his friend was attempting to plant.

They laid in silence with the soaked cotton masks on their faces for awhile. Then, Seongwoo felt like he needed to get to know Minhyun better if he was going to be attempting to escape with him later on. He needed to get him to open up a bit more, so he decided he would ask more personal questions that he usually avoided because Minhyun was clearly uncomfortable with them as much as he was of asking.

“May I ask how you ended up here?”

Minhyun sighed and Seongwoo sensed his lithe body tense up for a few seconds. “I understand why you would ask that and I feel obligated to tell you now though I usually wouldn’t. If we’re going to be going through a grand ordeal together, we should know almost everything about each other. Even the darker, sadder, more intimate details.”

Seongwoo turned to glance at him, surprised at seeing Minhyun so unusually destressed. His eyes were tearing up and he’d never radiated so much sadness. It was almost as bad as the depressing aura he gave off himself half the time without being aware his mask had slipped. He almost told Minhyun that he didn’t have to talk about it if it was hard but instead he held his hand in comfort and waited. He really should hear this.

Minhyun then told him the stories of his childhood. How he was from a divorced family that had only used him as a tool to brag about and hurt each other with. He was treated like a trophy or property.

He had been captured one day when he ran away from his father in the airport. They had been in the middle of transferring to Germany where his father lived. Minhyun was to be in his father’s custody nine months out of the year and three months in Korea with his mother since she was seen less fit to raise him. Some older man had acted friendly in helping him figure out how to ride the subway. Too friendly as it turned out.

He’d been taken to a sweatshop where he’d been forced to live and work until he was an adult. He’d been discovered randomly on the street by the couple that Seongwoo and Daniel absolutely loathed and brought right away to Swing once he was discovered to be Korean to work in the service industries. They had tricked him, promising a better life and that if he worked hard enough they’d reconnect him with his family and send him back to Korea.

Being incredibly intelligent and good with people, he had been pushed into the shadier jobs but gradually persuaded his way out. He had been here two years, even longer than Seongwoo. In total, Minhyun had spent over a decade in China and he hadn’t ever tried to escape because he had no close family to go to anyway.

The story was short but so sad that Seongwoo found himself hugging the other and crying. Minhyun peeled the mask away and brushed his tears, asking why he was crying for his sake when they were pretty much strangers. It was rare for Minhyun to see Seongwoo cry.

“I don’t think of you as a stranger. You’re my friend and of course I’m going to cry when I see how much my friend has been hurting since he was little. I’m not insensitive or uncivilized. You’ve basically had no one your whole life to love you for who you are and look out for your best interest and protect you. You must have trust issues because everyone you trusted led you to further misery. That’s just too cruel.”

Minhyun smiled, reaching up to pat his hair in a brotherly manner. There was clear affection and care there but Seongwoo didn’t think it was like how a lover would touch. It wasn’t the same as how Daniel touched him. It calmed and warmed him but it didn’t cause heat to coil in his stomach.

“Aigoo, Seongwoo’s so sensitive and sweet. That’s a good thing I hope you’ll never lose. Your ability to put yourself in someone’s position and feel their emotions and truly understand them. This is no place for you. We’ve really got to get you out before they break or change you. This system is not as bad as the other jobs you could be stuck in but it’s no place for someone caring like you.

Daniel was right about that, arrogant bratty know-it-all that he can be. You’re going to be an asset to our team and I would feel like a shithead leaving you behind. I feel closer to you now, like I’ve gained a little brother.

Don’t worry about me or cry for my sake anymore though. I have someone now. Someone who understands and loves me enough to risk his life to earn me freedom and a chance at a better future, hopefully together.”

Seongwoo sniffled and smiled. “You’re talking about that guard, right? Your knight in shining armor?”

Minhyun’s tears had dried up luckily. He smiled shyly and giggled. “Right, I am. My mandu prince. I’m no longer living without love and my trust issues have nearly faded.”

His heart warmed at that idea of Minhyun having a lover outside the doors of this godforsaken facility that was no less than a well-decorated prison. It was really nice to see genuine love, something that he’d always enjoyed watching in movies and hoping he could experience someday. He wondered what it was like to be in love with someone and be in a genuine relationship, but he was too shy to ask.

When he looked at Minhyun’s soft, pleasant expression while thinking of his lover, he thought that being in loved would be something really nice. He was happy that Minhyun was happy, even temporarily, and yet envious. When would he ever be happy again? It had been years of battling depression and keeping himself busy with little things that brought him entertainment or fulfillment to replace that, but he was always aware of it--this gaping hole in him that made him feel empty and never truly happy. First, he figured, he needed to get out of here, then he could think about how to fix himself though.

“I’ve at least had love from my family. I don’t know if they’re still looking for me but I’m sure they at least haven’t forgotten me. Still, it would be nice to have what you have as well. I’ve been lonely for a long time. I’ve never had a relationship or even a close friend since I was abducted.”

“You haven’t, huh? It must have been hard for you to endure until now. Poor Seongwoo, my little lonely bro.” Minhyun frowned with sympathy and hooked his arm around the other’s neck.

Seongwoo slid closer and let himself be coddled. He realized the more that he allowed the Doms to do it to him, that possibly this was just what he needed. Physical affection, genuine warmth, compassion and sympathy. Minhyun wasn’t as warm and snuggly as Daniel but the feeling was still pleasant and temporarily filled the emptiness inside of him.

“Don’t worry, Seongwoo. You are handsome and sweet. I’m sure that you will find someone as soon as you get out of here. You’re the sort of person that I would say is easy to fall for.”

“Hmm, you think so? Then...do you think any of the people I’ve come across have ever fallen for me?” he wondered in a low, hesitant tone.

“Sure, it’s highly possible. It’s easy to end up having a crush on someone in our situation. It’s much harder to act on it, however. Because they are worried about how they would live on if something happened to that person after they got really close. I bet there’s someone out there who has crushed on you, maybe even now there’s someone struggling with their feelings.”

Seongwoo’s perfectly groomed, midnight colored brows dived to the center of his head. “Eh~ It’s not you. Definitely not Sungwoon as we barely tolerate each other. That leaves Woojin, Jisung, and Jihoon. None of them seem likely--”

“Daniel.”

“N-neh?” he stammered, forgetting to breathe for a moment.

“You noticed that you didn’t even mention Daniel.”

“I forgot, that’s all.” Seongwoo flushed and ducked his head down, pressing down on his racing heart he couldn’t fathom. “Daniel is just a friend. We have things in common and our humor codes match is all. Being in love would have to be a lot more than that.”

“You enjoy having sex with him though. You admitted you’re attracted to him. And you are both clearly close. You should think a bit on it, Seongwoo. Daniel could be in love with you and just hiding it.”

Seongwoo chewed on his lip and shook his head. However, he didn’t hate the idea of that like he should, insane as it was. Someone like Daniel liking him would be an honor though it wasn’t fathomable. He wasn’t nearly good enough for Daniel. By the sounds of it, Daniel and Jihoon were also close.

“Nah, that sounds like nonsense. If he saw me that way, he would have told me already. He’s a person who lives honestly and he’s fearless. He probably is dating Jihoon. You heard them last night. Just watch, I bet Jihoon goes with us next month.”

Minhyun didn’t appear at all convinced. “Hmm, you think? I could swear though…”

“Swear what?” Seongwoo asked sleepily.

“Ah, nothing. Go ahead and sleep. You seem tired.”

Indeed he was. Sex always tired him out, even the sort that was less physically demanding and low-key. Minhyun was the gentle, slow sort of lover that did all the work and hardly made him lift a finger. It was the easiest of his schedules, and it was fortunate that he had him twice this week instead of Sungwoon who was the opposite, very demanding and unpleasantly rough, trying out these weird positions that never did much for him. Thankfully, he’d have Daniel and then a day off before he had to see that rude, narcissistic, slippery faced brute again.

“Thanks, Min. Good night. Have pleasant dreams of your mandu boy. I don’t mind if you keep imagining he’s me.”

Minhyun brushed his hair and stroked his back. “I can’t really do that because like I said you’re much taller than him and not nearly as fluffy and cute.”

Seongwoo pouted, muttering as he drifted off, “Daniel always says I’m cute though…”

Minhyun watched his pretty friend sleeping and lightly snorted at the comment. “That’s because Daniel clearly likes you as more than a friend, you helpless pabo. I’m pretty sure you will find out in time that you could like him too, if you gave it a chance. Seeing as how you talk about him several times whenever I’m over and now you’re flushing when you do so, I think it’s not that far off. This escape will give you two the time together you need to get your heads out of denial and set this love train on the tracks.”

 

 

Daniel knocked, whistling as he waited for the door of room number seven to be opened. The security and tech staff combined to ensure that the residents in the second floor were only allowed to walk about freely in a certain window. The Doms had an hour window between when their subs doors were unlocked to get to their room and get to the next Sub room on their schedule.

The Subs were monitored at that time as well. They had it worse off. They were only allowed out on their scheduled day off or in the case of dire emergencies. If they had something they needed or wanted to do, they had to do it all on that day while being followed by guards to ensure they came back and without anything suspicious that might cause harm to themselves or others.

He sighed as he looked out over the cultivated, well-kept grounds in the center of the facility while he waited for Seongwoo to finish getting ready and open the door for him just as a sign of courtesy (some Doms might just go in like they owned the place but Daniel still had that chivalry his mother instilled in him at a young age and he refused to live impolitely).

“Too bad I can’t take hyung out for a stroll. He likes it down there. Even though he’s allergic to flowers.”

Daniel chuckled as he thought of a time he saw Seongwoo down there, suffering from a cycle of smelling, then sneezing and rubbing his nose with his eyes tearing up. That hadn’t stopped him from continuing to smell the flowers anyway. It was as if he was a masochist.

He thought about how it would be nice if Seongwoo was at least let out at the same day as him, but it had yet to ever happen unfortunately. If he were allowed to go out with Seongwoo, he had a course date he’d imagined up that he was sure the other would like. He’d stroll through the gardens outside the facility, then take him shopping, go to a cafe to drink a real warm drink instead of a canned one, and they’d end with messing around in an instrument store. They could both play the drums and guitar a bit and liked making music, even terrible random stuff.

His smile faltered and he swallowed back a sigh. “A normal date with hyung, huh...That is a really nice yet impossible fantasy.”

As of yet, anyway. Once they escaped and got back to Korea, it was going to be a different story hopefully. He would be able to spend days together with Seongwoo instead of just a night every here and there according to some schedule he didn’t set up. They would be allowed to go out to hang out instead of staying in the confines of a room. They wouldn’t have to be worried about being watched or having to put on a performance. They would no longer have to fake a relationship. If they wanted to create one, they could allow it to bloom and grow on its own naturally, if it were meant to be, that was.

Daniel knew he felt something for Seongwoo that was different than with the others, but he couldn’t definite it and so chose usually not to think deeply on it. He wanted to say that it was like or a crush but he wasn’t certain of it. He had never experienced love, only different levels of friendship and affection. He could say that for certain he thought of Seongwoo as a close friend. He could also say he was genuinely attracted to his body and loved every second of their intimate time together.

What was acting for Seongwoo didn’t really feel much like acting to him. Daniel wasn’t that good of an actor, honestly. If he didn’t feel some sort of genuine affection or attraction to the Subs that he was with, then he couldn’t perform well.

Luckily this past year, he felt close to all of them--Jisung, Jihoon, and especially Seongwoo. They were nice and sweet and funny. On some level he wanted to cherish, care for, and protect all of them. He enjoyed pleasing them during their performance and he also had things that he liked to do with them after that built up their friendship. With Jihoon, they gamed. With Jisung, they joked around and ate a lot. With Seongwoo, they did all kinds of things and chatted throughout the night.

Daniel was surprised with how he’d felt comfortable and opened up so quickly with Seongwoo. He had never in his whole life been much of a talker, at least not about himself or his feelings or his thoughts for the future. With Seongwoo though, he’d felt like they’d become best friends within a couple months and there had not been a speck of desire to keep up a wall between them. That was unusual, just as it was the level that he’d go to please Seongwoo or how deeply he got into their boyfriend act.

To some extent, Daniel did try to make a character though he didn’t make it different than who he really was so that his terrible skills would become obvious. He had never found himself getting into the character to the point that he forgot for several hours that it wasn’t real until he’d started performing with Seongwoo. When he was with him, that was the only time that he stopped thinking logically or systematically about his performance.

He failed to keep an eye on the TV to see how they looked. He didn’t have a step by step procedure in mind how he was going to go about that session. He wasn’t thinking of what he could do to earn himself the maximum amount of points to keep his rank on top and reap the benefits he so liked after all the time he’d spent struggling on the bottom of the ranks and getting the shitty end of the stick in his other service-related jobs.

When things started with Seongwoo--no, even before that when he first saw his chic, handsome face light up with a smile and sparkling, emotionally deep eyes he got sucked in to the character of Seongwoo’s out of town college boyfriend visiting his dorm on holiday. All he was focused on those few hours was keeping Seongwoo happy.

Seongwoo was the sort of person that off air often seemed lost in thought and melancholy. He reminded him of a sad, lonely dove that was locked in a cage and hoping to be let out but having almost completely given up on any hope or not having the strength to do it on his own.

Once he had made a god-awful joke and seen Seongwoo smile--saw how his entire face lit up beautifully, making him look like a total angel and so much younger and purer. After that, Daniel had a new mission that wasn’t related to points or surviving the session with the Sub--which was to keep that look on Seongwoo’s face as long as possible. He gained immense satisfaction in the fact that he brought that look to Seongwoo so often, not others. Because he secretly watched out for and discussed the others with Seongwoo to judge. The others weren’t as close to Seongwoo, he had learned. He was like an ice prince that built up thick walls between everyone.

Seongwoo was most fond of him. Or so he deluded himself into thinking. Why must he feel like he needed to think that way he wasn't sure, but for the time being he had chocked it up to simply that Seongwoo was important to him and a close friend. That's why when he had joined in the escape plans with Minhyun and his boyfriend of one year, the China-born Korean man Jaehwan, and they asked if there was one or two more people he wanted to help, his mouth had immediately formed the syllables of Seongwoo’s name. Though he had honestly not been with him so long.

Minhyun had raised a brow, looking pleasantly surprised and curious. Daniel knew they were pretty close as well and he had felt sort of like a fiance being put under the microscope of a family member, like a brother. They were the same age, same height, looked similar, and even shared similarities in their personalities and habits. Hence, it was very much like confession to his older, protective brother.

Minhyyn had bluntly asked him why he wanted to bring Seongwoo and Daniel hadn't known how to answer. He thought about it for a day and blurted it out during one of their strategy meetings (Jaehwan manages to get him and Minhyun the same days off here and there). His reasoning had been his true feelings which were also something he was struggling through even now to understand--he thought Seongwoo was extremely cute, innocent, and precious. He felt a need to protect and lead him. He couldn't leave him behind.

Seongwoo was an emotional person and he was weak in many ways, though he put up a brave front, tried to act strong, and put up a biting defense by being bratty and cool like how he'd learned from Minhyun. However, he wasn't strong like Minhyun was emotionally and he was lonely and hurting and scared of many things.

Daniel was worried for him if he stayed here and Minhyun agreed. Staying here another year even might possibly drive Seongwoo to either take his own life or drastically change his character in order not to. Daniel thought he had great qualities, especially how artistic and empathetic he was.

He wanted to preserve that and take Seongwoo away to a place where he could cultivate it. He wanted to help and support Seongwoo's dreams while he searched for his own. He wanted to get to know him better and spend many more times with him. He wanted to remain his best friend for decades and not witness him change a bit. Because he felt like Seongwoo was perfect as he was, beyond that even.

He had never met a person so incredible and endearing. Maybe it was just that he hardly had a chance to meet people from his country until the last year and he was now limited to around ten at the most. But that didn't change the fact that over the months he felt more and more so. He looked forward to his scheduled times with Seongwoo. He absolutely hated those months where it was narrowed down to a week. He was proud that they were the most popular channel. He wished that he could see him even more.

It was irritating even being made to wait to go inside on their scheduled days like this, though he knew that Seongwoo was just trying to make himself and his room presentable. Seongwoo had a thing about appearances. Just like Daniel thought it was rude to not address someone with titles and to open an unlocked door without permission, Seongwoo felt it was rude to show messiness to guests. That was why his hair, clothes, and room were consistently impeccable.

 

 

Warning: Rated content

“Hello~” Seongwoo greeted extra friendly as he swung the door open.

Daniel beamed and slid inside, welcoming his fake boyfriend with a peck. They were not on air just yet, they still had two minutes, so it was surprising obviously. Seongwoo balked at him, an attractive flush coming to his face.

“Hey, hyung. Just warming up. Also can't resist when you look this good.”

“Ah, I see…”

His hair was up and he was in all black today. He wondered if Seongwoo really forgot what seeing that sexy forehead did to him. The twinkle in his eyes and the crooked curve of the thin, bow-shaped lips he was shyly chewing on. Daniel terribly wanted to suck and chew on it himself, but he knew he should keep himself in check for the moment. They had an agreement not to be loving or overly physical when off air and he'd already probably risked their friendship. Just as he did once or twice every day they were together these days.

He couldn't help himself. Seongwoo was irresistible. The more he had of him, the more he wanted honestly. As long as he wasn't tuckered out. Even when he was tired, it was hard to resist not hugging him, holding his hand, or pecking his seal lips or fluffy, starred cheeks.

Daniel stopped himself from giving him a hug, lightly brushing his waist instead.

“What's gotten into you?” Seongwoo muttered just barely able to be heard, adorably flustered.

Daniel couldn't fully answer that question because he didn't know the answer himself why he wanted to be affectionate with Seongwoo off air. He pretended not to hear it instead.

“What's with that outfit? It's scandalous.”

“Oh this? It had a rip so I just cut it. It's breezy and fashionable.”

Seongwoo’s face reminded him of someone who swallowed a bug. “I can't believe you actually went out like that.”

Daniel shrugged and scratched at his exposed, chiseled, golden-tinted abs under the navy blue, cut up hoodie. “It's just down the hallway. I haven't come across anyone but you.”

“Kids could have seen. Or parents. What would they think?” The conservatively dressed brunette retorted.

“I guess that I had a fight with a dog? Or I suck at using a washing machine? What's the big deal? I've never seen you angry about something I wore before.”

Seongwoo was flustered and irritated by his teasing. He didn't seem like he knew why he was acting that way either. It was no Sub’s real concern what the Dom wore. Anyway, he was supposed to take them off right away so what did it matter.

“I was just...you know, concerned about what they would think and you could catch a cold you know. It's chilly out.”

“It's still summer,” Daniel pointed out, stepping closer with a crooked smile as Seongwoo stammered. They had less than a minute left on the timer and Daniel was shaking with adrenaline. This cuteness was making him want Seongwoo all the more.

“There's a chilly breezy even in the summer here.”

“We're not north, hyung. Obviously you don't go out enough.”

“Right, must be nice to be born a Dom type.”

Seongwoo defiantly glared at him, full of spitfire, sexy attitude despite he was cornered into the wall. Daniel had his arms on either side, keeping him blocked, leaning over him casually. Desire sparked between them and darkened their eyes.

“It is nice. Because I get to play around with gorgeous Subs like you.”

He loved giving compliments out of the blue to Seongwoo because of his adorable, attractive reactions like just then. The other Subs were used to compliments, even expected them, so that made him on the contrary hardly want to give any. Since Seongwoo became so intensely affected by them and any form of teasing, Daniel found himself torturing the elder ruthlessly for his own amusement. Not merely on-camera either.

He didn’t give Seongwoo compliments or act sweet just for show. He did it because he felt entertained and satisfied from it. For some reason he didn’t fully understand but was gradually coming to.

Seongwoo slapped his shoulder and rolled his eyes, stopping when he saw the clock. “Shit. We have to start soon. We should stop bicker--”

His words turned into a squeak which became a pleasant hum as Daniel lunged forward, pressing their lips together when there was still five seconds left on the timer. The viewers were going to get a promising, special show because they were starting earlier and skipping that whole dialogue-centered intro.

Daniel tore off their clothes as if they were set on fire, swallowing all of Seongwoo’s protests and keeping him compliant by overwhelming him with pleasure. Daniel didn’t know why he was in such a hurry today but he merely went with it as he didn’t seem to have control of his emotions and attractions towards the elder this time around.

Seongwoo didn’t fight because he couldn’t. They were on air and surely he would get points docked and also heavily scolded for resisting the Dom. That was another thing that sucked about being subs--the Dom had all the power and directed the show for the most part.

Daniel worried some nights about how the other Doms were with Seongwoo. Did they try to read him like Daniel did? Were they even half as gentle and considerate? Did they at least give him a good time and let him come first?

He doubted it and also part of him hoped they didn’t for selfish reasons. He wanted to be the Dom that was at the top of Seongwoo’s favorites list, way at the top. Not just above Minhyun. Luckily, he had learned that Minhyun already had someone he was faithful to or otherwise they would likely be rivals. Daniel knew how close they were and that their channel was also possible because of their convincing chemistry and similar look.

Daniel fingered Seongwoo’s ass and caressed his nipples as he sucked on the sweet spots on his neck and ears. Seongwoo was beside himself with pleasure, pants and husky moans slipping out of his snowy throat, his hands digging into Daniel’s shoulders. The leg hooked over the blonde’s arm was shaking from the strain of standing up and the tremors of pleasure shooting through him from his center. Daniel teasingly rubbed his cock on his thigh until Seongwoo slid his hand down to stroke it.

They kept their eyes closed, neither having an interest in what they looked like on the monitor, merely wanting to bask in the moment of explosive desire. Daniel slid up and gently caressed his face as he brought him in for a hot kiss. Seongwoo lazily swirled his tongue around Daniel’s, rocking into his thrusting fingers, his hand squeezing the wettened tip. Sweet hums and shivers came from both of them.

Once their bodies were properly warmed up and dangerously on the peak, Daniel signaled Seongwoo to jump. He did so with grace, spreading his legs, putting his full trust in him as not many other Subs would do. Daniel caught his thighs over his arms and slid under his bottom, pressing the slender man snugly back into the wall.

They gazed through hooded eyes at each other as Daniel slid inside his gaping hole, burrowing gently.

“Hmm, good…” Seongwoo murmured softly with a small smile, letting Daniel subtly know that he wasn’t feeling uncomfortable.

Daniel swooped in to capture and suck on his lip eagerly as he began to thrust slow and careful, making sure to keep his hold secure so Seongwoo would be able to focus on enjoying the sensations rather than on falling.

Seongwoo kissed and held him snugly, his legs squeezing his hips and locking around his thighs. That was a signal for Daniel to go faster and so he did. He didn’t go rough like they had last time because he realized that he really rather preferred the passionate, caring, sensual sort of sex they had. On camera it might look like he was giving Seongwoo a hard time because he was fast but the way that he held his lithe body and the amount of pressure he gave was expertly controlled to give Seongwoo maximum pleasure and minimum pain.

It was physically straining for him but it was worth it. For this particular sub, he could do that. Seongwoo deserved it and giving Seongwoo pleasure and temporary happiness was much more satisfying than any sort of orgasm gained through selfish means.

Seongwoo became overwhelmed, shaking and gasping when he hit quick on his prostate.

“Oh, god, yes, Da…”

Daniel re-covered his silky, sugary mouth and shoved his tongue in to cover his own name. He didn’t want Seongwoo’s careless mistake to be heard or he’d lose points. Daniel hoped that he could help Seongwoo get a massive amount of points with their scheduled times and that he’d order anything he wanted. In a way, it was like having a lover to spoil.

A great number of Seongwoo’s comforts had come from the points that he had earned with Daniel. Certainly, he wouldn’t have been able to afford that drum set without him. Daniel took satisfaction from that as well. It was yet another evidence of how he successfully cared for him and infiltrated himself in his life despite they met less than ten times a month. Another way to solidify his claim as Seongwoo’s best friend, which he had practically become unhealthily obsessed with.

As usual, Daniel tortured Seongwoo until he was in the midst of a mind-blowing orgasm and only then did he allow himself to release. Many times he held off so that he could do it later, but this was such a perfect opportunity he couldn’t miss it. The way that Seongwoo squeezed and clung around him and the intensity of the desire they’d built was incredibly arousing.

Daniel rocked into the man pinned on the wall as he loosely hung onto him, nearly slipping down because they were all sweaty by then from the burst of energy. Daniel nuzzled his neck until he caught his breath and his dangerous heart rate slowed a bit, then he carried Seongwoo towards the bed. He gently set him down, keeping their bodies connected as he laid over him.

“Ugh, so hot and heavy and sticky…” Seongwoo huffed in complaint.

“Just a few minutes. I deserve it.” Daniel hugged him tighter, refusing to budge, smiling contently into his lovely, statuesque collar bone that’s dip fit his chin perfectly.

Seongwoo laughed breathily and pet his head with care. “Alright. I can’t argue with that. You do deserve a few minutes rest. This cuddle bug…”

For several seconds Daniel closed his eyes, basking in the fruity, salty smells of his lover and feeling the motherly way he stroked his head. Seongwoo knew by now just what he liked even after sex, it seemed. Daniel felt pleased by that.

“Hyung.”

“Yes?” Seongwoo’s voice came out wispy and tickled his ears.

“Wanna stay like this for ten more minutes?”

“We’ll have to make up for it. If you’re ready for a much longer round two, then sure. So that trip you’re planning. It’s with three people, huh?”

“Hmm-hmm. Three besides you. How’d you know?”

“One person hinted it and I figured it out. The fox and his boyfriend?”

“Hmm, that’s right.”

“They wouldn’t tell me anything either. I’m really becoming dead weight. I want to help.”

Daniel hummed, kissing his snowy skin and squeezing him slightly. “Like I told you, you already are, and I will let you know if there’s something we need for you to do. For now, just get mentally and physically prepared. And relieve your anxiety and stress with me.”

“Ah, right. I should start working out. Now that you mention it. But I’ve never really worked out before so I don’t know how,” Seongwoo admitted as his gaze fixed on a crack in the ceiling, sounding embarrassed.

Their bodies vibrated from Daniel’s light, husky laugh. “Ah, this Ongcheongie. After we’re finished and have a nap then I will show you what you can do without equipment. Fair?”

“Sounds good. In that case, you should be extra careful today not to make me sore.”

“Hey, I’m always careful. You must be confusing me with someone else. Who’s the jerk that’s making you sore?” Daniel growled.

“That Cloud guy in number three,” he admitted with a giggle. “Please give him a good scolding since I’m not allowed to. He’s too rough and quick with everything. I’m sore after every time with him.”

Daniel felt more anger than necessary. It wasn’t like Seongwoo had his body cut or broken but it almost felt that amount of offensive to him. Despite he was clearly a man, Seongwoo was also one that was quite fragile who easily bruised and couldn’t take pain well.

“Fucking asshole. How dare he.”

Seongwoo turned coy then to calm the raging, tense Damn, drawing circles on his back and biting his lip. “I think I like this fierce, protective nature of yours. It’s making me horny.”

Daniel looked up with a crooked grin and a twinkle of desire in his eyes. “Is it now? I guess it’s time for a very sweet, sensual, hour-long round two then. If you’re ready, then so am I.”

The camera that zoomed out between their inactive breaks zoomed in and likely the volume went back up for viewers as they started making out and caressing. The monitor was filled with a closeup of their nipping teeth on swollen, wet lips and swirling, lapping, pink tongues.

 

 

Warning: Graphic Pornography

 

The world that appeared on the square box stuck to the wall that connected to thousands of computers in the country was vastly different than the one the popular Dom-Sub experienced. Within the confines of the angles, the screen showed images close up and filtered with high definition and a rosy over tone.

The massive blonde haired guy was licking and biting the neck of the curvy lithe brunette one. The scene gradually changed as the controlled cameras zoomed out and then zoomed in on another area. A veiny, long-fingered hand that screamed strength and masculinity caressing the back of a creamy slender thigh came into view, rising up to the pale buttocks that was fully on display with the dark freckles, thin layer of peach fuzz, and all.

The hand rubbed and squeezed each cheek slowly, then the fingers slid down the crack, splitting the cheeks apart to reveal the dark pink flowery center. The area became zoomed in on as the fingers circled the puckering hole and then dived in the center inch by inch. The fingers moved out and then in sometimes leaving completely and coming back soaked with saliva.

The screen changed back to a close-up of the brunette's gorgeous face scrunched in pleasure, his lips parted, tongue darting out here and there to lick the dry areas. He appeared in delicious pain and to be having labored breathing. The screen zoomed out to see the blonde man's back. He was rubbing his condomed, lubricated cock in the crack slow and easy, teasing the other man.

The brunette grabbed the pillow tightly and complained as he presented and rocked back in an inviting fashion. He appeared to want the blonde's massive cock in him like a fully in heat. The blonde was seen from the side, smirking as he reached down to twerk his nipples and make the teasing worse. The brunette looked up at him with a sensual, desperate look, lips moving in plea.

His eyes then abruptly closed, his head thrown back, his mouth slacked as he cried out in pleasure. The blonde had given him just what he wanted. The cameras roamed down the blonde's back, highlighting with incredible quality the incredible, defined musclework as he shifted in the middle of rapidly thrusting. The screen showed nothing but his golden skin tapering down to the dips before his firm, bubbly ass appeared, flexing beautifully as he labored to please his lover who wanted him something fierce.

The camera then zoomed out to show the full picture from behind, gradually tapering to a bird's eye view. The brunette tossed his head, fingers clawing at the sheets, legs bent and toes curling, mouth ajar as he moaned and cried. The blonde sucked dark purple bruises on his neck, thrusting deep and hard at a break neck speed to get him to go crazier and louder. The screen in the room, however, only showed images to them rather than played back the sounds.

 Shadows from the blinds cast dark, thick, straight lines all across the entirety of their connected bodies. It resembled the bars on a jail cell or a cage. Seongwoo glanced over through dazed, hooded eyes at the screen and saw that from the bird’s eyes view in full. He was reminded of two birds playing in a hunter's cage. They appeared to be having fun temporarily at an initial look but surely what was on their mind most of the time was how much greater the outside appeared and when would the door to the cage be opened so that they could fly out.

The thought of freedom and how he'd never had it made his breath shallow and raspy in a different way. Seongwoo brushed his sweaty hair out of his eyes and then stopped as he got caught up with the jarring image of his ugly, jagged wounds. He clenched his arm, hiding the scars with his other hand as if he couldn't bare to look at it or it terrified him.

Daniel lifted his head from his collar but didn't dare break his rhythm, wondering why Seongwoo had quieted abruptly. It only took him one glance of wet eyes and the Sub clutching his wrist to understand. He stopped thrusting completely, caught on the camera silently whispering in the other's ear, his large thumb sweetly rubbing his wrist as if massaging away the pain. The brunette's expression changed gradually thanks to the Dom, turning calmer, relied, and then a small smile returning to his face, softening his stark features considerably, making him cute and rather pure seeming. Only when he was sure his partner was comforted and no longer in any sort of pain or distress did Daniel return to moving within him, this time in a much gentler, almost loving manner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little less dark. I think I probably scared people away with my warnings and description, but this story really isn't that dark or angsty. There will be lots of action and funny/sweet moments between the main characters. I did warn about mentions of other ships. Onghwang are friends here though, they're not romantic in the least. I chose not to have any detailed broadcast moments besides ON in this story so don't worry about that. It might bother you even the mentions that ships are happening in this universe behind the scenes but their relationships are not deep beyond friends, if they were not forced to be having sex they certainly wouldn't be in most cases.
> 
> This chapter and the next have a bit of Daniel's POV. Hope you liked it. The ending might have been weird but I wanted to add a sort of 'juxtaposition' smut. After seeing how the couple feels during the act, we can see a bit of a more cold, graphic version which is what viewers see. I like the symbolism of these two being like birds trapped in a spacious cage being kept by some owner that wants to admire their beauty. They might seem okay at times but surely they wish to be free and stretch out their wings and bust out that door. So, I tried a scene that sort of gives the feeling of how the men and the viewers feel differently during their performances. I'm sorry, I know it was quite graphic which was why I kept it short. There will not be any more pornography, forced sex scenes from this chapter on. Thank you for bearing through that.
> 
> In the next chapter, we will finally be adventuring outside of the rooms and you will meet the last member of the escape team, Minhyun's mandu prince boyfriend who you of course already know but Ong doesn't yet. 
> 
> See you within a week~ Please trust me that this story isn't going to make you miserable. It will have a happy ending eventually and there will be brighter, sweeter, funnier bits throughout.
> 
> <3 Raina


	4. The Plan & The Outings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a sweet, comical morning chat with Daniel, Seongwoo goes out with one thing in mind: he's been ordered to have fun and smile as much as possible. He bumps into the Mandu Prince aka Jaehwan, Minhyun's bf, the guard that is helping them. This is the last member of their team it turns out. Through their talk, Jaehwan realizes that Ong and Daniel are whipped for each other and clearly need at least a day to have a date outside their rooms. And then he arranges it because he's just a smooth operator like that. (yay Ongnielhwan! Also, watch out for Produce moments in this XD)

When Daniel woke up, there was an hour before the doors would unlock and he could freely go back to his room to shower, change, and eat a hearty meal before his next shift would begin. He recalled when he saw that Seongwoo was still in his pajamas that it was his day off. He groaned as he sat up, thinking he wished he could take a day off or a sick day like a normal job. Going out with Seongwoo, telling him about the plan in detail when they weren’t being recorded, doing something fun outside the confines of these old walls--that sounded heavenly. Almost more than the night before had even been.

Seongwoo didn’t even glance his way. The handsomely beautiful that was as pretty as a picture and sort of reminded him somehow of Audrey Hepburn was dressed in a rusty brown turtleneck with a beige coat and denim slim fit jeans. He was biting his stubby fingernails clean off again, looking out the window, extremely focused or deep in thought. He appeared so small, fragile, lonely and melancholy. Daniel felt a strong urge to give him a huge back hug, something that didn’t come to him often with others. With Jisung, he might if he was bawling for whatever reason since tears bothered him. With Jihoon, he might if he was pissed at losing the game they were playing. With Seongwoo, however, it was an urge that came frequently for all sorts of random reasons.

He didn’t think that Seongwoo would approve of physical comfort off air and he didn’t want to make him angry or risk their friendship by disrespecting his boundaries. Instead of a hug, he simply stood by him, tapped him on the shoulder and offered a brilliant smile. Luckily, Seongwoo turned to him and smiled slightly back, yet there was still a deep sadness and sense of being lost in his large, dark, sparkling eyes that reminded Daniel of a galaxy.

“Good morning, hyung. What are you doing? You should be getting ready to go out.”

“I was just looking at the kids going to school and thinking about the past. My brother must have graduated by now and is getting ready for college. Time sure flies fast. I missed the best yet most difficult years of his life. He must be so tall and handsome now.”

Daniel’s heart pinched and his hands twitched, wanting to wrap around his slim shoulders and cradle his raven head into his own chest as he usually would if he caught Seongwoo  crying or on the verge. He knew just how Seongwoo felt. He also had a younger brother. In fact, their brothers were close in age just as they were. His brother he’d actually managed to get in contact with through secret correspondence. He was actually a half-brother. He was born and raised in China by Daniel’s father after getting divorced and remarried but Daniel had met him a couple of times during the summers when he’d go and visit his father.

His name was Guanlin. He was a really nice, cute, smart kid and had been searching for him for years, just finally getting a hold of him through Daehwi six months ago. It was nice to have Guanlin on their side since he could speak excellent Chinese, English, and Korean as he was a talented language expert. He also had friends in underground circles despite being a model student so he would be extremely useful when they needed to flee and get back into South Korea undetected. Daehwi and Guanlin combined were the masterminds and the central key to the escape plan.

“Don’t think about it too much. In no time, you will be seeing him. Just trust me and the plan.”

Seongwoo crossed his arms and sighed. “I wish I could hear about it. It’s bothering me being the only one that doesn’t know anything. I want to help. Is there something you need that I can go buy outside at least?”

Daniel shook his head. “You’re helping enough as it is. Being one of my storage sheds. And excellently keeping my mood up and my stress levels down. It’s better that you’re not in on the semantics.”

Daniel had a reason that he couldn’t tell Seongwoo besides the bugged room. It was that he was the weakest of them when it came to pain. If Seongwoo knew something and got captured, it was highly likely that it would be easily tortured out of him. He couldn’t have that, as much as he hated to see Seongwoo feeling left out. Even the thought of a tiny blade cutting his papery skin made his skin crawl. He quickly brushed aside the unwelcome flahback images. Seongwoo had promised not to do that and hadn't in several months. It was about time he stopped thinking about it so that Seongwoo could as well and not be at risk of any relapsing.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just for our safety. If there’s anything I need, I’ll tell you, I promise. Just go out and enjoy your day. I should get going soon.”

Seongwoo looked at the time, becoming even more crestfallen. Daniel pondered at that. Was it that Seongwoo was so lonely he wouldn’t even mind a stranger staying with him on his day off? Or was he allowed to look more into it--that Seongwoo liked his company in particular and also didn’t want to separate like how he was feeling?

“Before you go, take something.”

He pulled out a shopping bag and put it on top of his desk. Daniel looked at it with pleasant surprise.

“You bought me a present? My birthday isn’t until December though.”

“It’s just a thank you present. For being my friend, saving me that one time, talking to me so much when I’m down and thinking stupid things, and for letting me in on your plans, and this and that more that's too embarassign to mention…” he muttered, pretty face heating up like a boiled beat.

“How can I stand here and do nothing when you’re like that, jeez,” Daniel grumbled under his breath.

Next, he had Seongwoo in his arms, pressed chest to chest, in a firm, warm embrace. “Thank you, hyung.”

“You don’t even know what it is. It could be bugs.” Seongwoo chuckled, but to the younger’s further surprise he leaned in and returned the hug instead of pushing him away as he expected.

It was the first intimate contact they had had that couldn’t be blamed on them being half-conscious or still caught up in their act. It was wonderful. Daniel wondered if anyone in the world gave better hugs? Would he find someone in his life that fit so perfectly in his arms like this?

The fact that he thought it was impossible suggested that he seriously needed to evaluate at some point after they escaped just what were the nature of his unusual feelings for his friend and how much of it stemmed from just being pure lonely and desperate to have someone to love since he was in his mid-twenties and never had a proper relationship.

“It doesn’t even matter if it’s real or plastic bugs. No one has gotten me a present since before when I lived in Korea. The birthday before the abduction. It’s meaningful, whatever it is. Even more since it’s from you.”

Seongwoo muttered shyly, “What do you mean ‘since it’s from me’? It’s not like I’m someone special. There’s Jihoon and Jisung and Minhyun you’re also close to. It’s not like I’m any different.”

Daniel pulled back, his hand moving from the short, silky hair to cradle his sculpted, masculine jaw, thumbing those pretty constellation-like, triangular freckles that were his most unique trademark. Seongwoo chewed on his lip and looked away, clearly feeling bashful and overwhelmed by the affectionate gestures and compliments he knew were about to come. For such a pretty man he didn’t take compliments that well as if he hadn’t heard them much growing up, which didn’t make sense. Seongwoo was possibly the most gorgeous Korean man he’d ever seen. Surely he hadn’t appeared much different as a teenager. If he had been ugly then, he wouldn’t have even been taken.

For the tenth time, Daniel wondered why Seongwoo was so squeamish with compliments from him and why he shied away from skinship and insisted they have their guard up. He didn’t seem so obviously to keep it up around him, considering what happened at night or when Daniel occasionally crossed the line like he had today. That wasn't helping his delusions for certain.

“But you are though. Compared to them, you are an even harder safe to crack. You trust the least. I know how hard it is for you to open up. Sungwoon has been with you longer and he hardly knows a thing about you. And I learned the other day there’s things I know that Minhyun and Woojin also don’t know. That means a lot to me. That I’m the one that you trust and open up to the most. And it’s got nothing to do with time.”

Seongwoo stammered, chewing furiously on his lip. “That’s just...That’s well...Okay, I don’t really know why that is. You’re just different. I felt so from the beginning. Maybe because you’re always so open and honest and genuine? There’s nothing fake about you. Nor is there anything that I would consider a bad trait. Like Sungwoon is selfish. Minhyun is secretive. Woojin is indifferent. You are almost the same on-camera as you are off-camera. I appreciate that. I want to live like that as well.”

Daniel smiled softly as he brushed his thumb over his flaming, freckled cheek, noticing how Seongwoo fought himself not to lean into his touch and eventually failed. His eyes slightly fluttered shut in pleasure as well. Is this a result of being too deep in the act earlier or is it possible that he might just as I might...

“As you should, hyung. As you will. I don’t want you to live your life feeling like you need to keep people at a distance and portray a character and pretend like you’re strong and cool in order to protect yourself and just get through each day. You of all people don’t deserve that. And I’m getting sappy now plus wasting your precious day off, woopsies. I’ll go now. See you next time. Enjoy your day. Try not to think about depressing or worrying things. I know it’s hard for you, Eeyore. But really, try your best. A smile suits this handsome face the best.”

Daniel decided he might as well just keep crossing the line further since he’d stepped way over it already. Just this one instance. And possibly any other instance where Seongwoo looked so sad and defeated he might just jump off the second floor to end his struggles. Because even worse than the idea of Seongwoo not smiling was of being stuck in this facility without him or of having some other stranger in room seven that he wouldn’t nearly look forward to seeing as much.

Seongwoo gasped and closed his eyes tight again as Daniel gave him another hug and lightly kissed all over his bare forehead.

“Really, what’s wrong with you today? My heart’s beating like crazy now, Daniel. Stop~”

Daniel laughed at the cute comment and his friend’s disgruntled, frazzled look as he held his hands to the center of his chest. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. You just looked so sad earlier and I don’t like it.”

“Arasso. I’ll take my usual murky aura elsewhere where I won’t threaten your positive attitude and sunshine smile. Fine?” he grumped in a playful manner.

Daniel pinched his thin, pale cheeks and pulled, forcing him to smile until he really did genuinely smile again in amusement. "Your skin is so fantastic, elastic, fantastic, elastic, ring ding dong, ring ding dong...." (author's note: if you know this song, you're officially old like me and you're also really awesome).

“Enough~”

The blonde narrowed his eyes as he reluctantly stopped touching the porcelain, silky skin. “I mean it, Seongwoo-yah. Go out and have fun and smile a lot. I’ll ask the guards to see if you are or not. I have spies all around.”

“Oh~ It is indeed possible. You being the king around here and all.”

“Exactly. So, be scared and listen.”

“I'm a good listener.” Seongwoo acted offended, eye twinkling with mischief.

“Maybe when there's something you can get out of it.”

“True. You know me quite well.

Daniel smirked and attempted a fail wink. It made Seongwoo chuckle all the same. Not that he was better at it, he was even worse in fact since he couldn't control any individual muscles on one part of his face apparently. “You would be surprised if I revealed all the knowledge I've gained on the fabulous yet forever gloomy sad panda king of the stars Ong Seongwoo. You should try testing me some time. Bet I ace it.”

Seongwoo crossed his arms and jutted his clefted chin, looking all sorts of arrogant and sexy. “Maybe I will. On your next visit with a drinking game.”

They did their special bro shake then, grinning wide. “Deal.”

“You still didn’t look at your present yet.” Seongwoo wore a shy, innocent smile as he poked at the edge of the bag. “I guess you don’t want it all that much.”

Daniel swiped it off the desk and held it protectively in his buff arms. “I do want it. I was just distracted because I felt grateful is all. On top of the fact you're too good looking for your own good. Really being that fine should be illegal and you should be in prison instead. What is it? Let’s see~ Oh, cool! A doll that looks just like Rooney! How did you know? I don’t even have pictures to show you.”

Seongwoo bit back a proud grin at Daniel’s reaction, probably having been paranoid that Daniel wouldn’t like it.

“You said she was an orange tabby with yellow eyes. I just happened by a toy store last week on my day off wandering the town and this was right in the window. Calling ‘yaong, take me to master Daniel, yaong~’ at me. Do you like it? I know that you don’t really give off the lonely impression but when I see you talk about your cats left behind, I see this light go out of your eyes. So, I figured you must actually be missing them a lot. Maybe you will feel less lonely when you sleep in your own room and have something else to cuddle with besides near strangers.”

“Seongwoo-yah…” Daniel cooed, looking away from the stuffed cat with teary eyes and a really silly grin.

Seongwoo looked away and rubbed his nose in a gesture he was uncomfortable. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s just something little.”

Daniel shook his head. “It’s not something little to me, hyung. It’s something very big and meaningful. I don’t think there’s anyone I’ve met in China who can see through me like that. I can’t believe you would put yourself in a category of ‘near-stranger’ when you’re really like the best friend I never had. Of course I have moments where I’m lonely. And I miss my cats more than I miss the rest of my family since we actually spent more time together. Thank you. It means a lot. I can’t even express how much. You know I’m shit with words. I’ll definitely use it. You might have to find me another one before we go because I’ll probably wear it down I’ll hug it so much.”

“You aren’t going to hug it that much. You’re barely home and you have several other warm, soft bodies to hug.”

Daniel grinned wickedly. “Ah, right. Like you.”

Seongwoo’s face went from chicly handsome to adorably bashful. “Hey, what’s gotten into you really? You’re so touchy today. Go, shoo, no more! Don’t even think about it, Daniel!”

This time Seongwoo acted a bit more like himself by running away and coolly pushing Daniel off as he chased him around the room trying to give him a bear hug for the thoughtful gift. Reluctantly, Daniel gave up and let Seongwoo kick him out of his room, soft laughter seeping through the walls which he heard not nearly enough of.

Daniel looked down at the furry cat doll and pet its orange striped back with a wide grin. “Let’s go to our temporary home, Rooney. You’ll see that nice, pretty guy again in a few days’ time. I know it sucks. I wish we could spend  every day with him too but. Well, what can we do? Life sure sucks sometimes. Especially in this lifetime.”

Daniel hugged the doll and sighed. He looked out over the slightly chipped and faded golden name plate reading 207 that rested upon the cream colored door slightly crooked. He reached out and caressed the sharp edges of the seven with a sad sort of soft smile. Once the time was up in the schedule this was as close as he could get to Seongwoo. 

 

 

Flashback to Spring, 2018 (When the spring breeze is blowing by~)

 

"Hmm, I wonder who is this Ong Seongwoo in lucky number seven. Hopefully he's not as much of a boring crude as the last guy. At least it would be nice to have some fun with co-workers and make some decent friends to kill time with.”

Daniel talked to himself as usual as he thought about the previous guy, Taehyun, who had been dragged away after a failed escape attempt, never to be seen again. Hopefully he had been moved to another service job rather than executed. Daniel might not have been fond of him because he scoffed at his skills and lectured him often about his novice Dom abilities, but Daniel was a kind person that wished no harm on anyone.

At that time, his blonde hair was dyed pink as an experiment. He had been placed in the facility a couple months ago and just gotten the hang of it. This would be the first new recruit he was seeing since he got here. Before that, he had been the newbie. It was going to be his responsibility to break in the new guy but he wasn’t fully confident with his leader-ship abilities. He was barely twenty years old.

“It’s chilly. Open the door please!” he called, shivering and rubbing his bare arms. “Maybe it wasn’t the smartest idea to wear this. It’s only spring, after all.”

The pink-haired twenty-year-old was in a denim outfit, fashionably cut at the knees and shoulders. It had cost him quite a bit of points but he hadn’t been able to resist it. It had been awhile since he’d been able to afford anything besides his collection of hoodies. Most outfits were given temporarily for their hours of work with very few allowed to be kept (The hoodies and Adidas trainers he’d been allowed to keep from his time at the dance clubs, the sneakers, wife beaters, and various gloves he had were from his days in the fight club, some nice ties and underwear were from the short time at the strip bar before he’d punched the daylights out of a grabby, racists VIP client). It was rare to be able to choose and pay for his own clothing the last three years in semi-captivity, so he’d splurged with his first gathered pay-cuts on the priciest items in the catalogue the facility had to offer.

The door opened, revealing a tall, slender man with raven hair, snowy skin, and incredible proportions. He was wearing a white turtle-neck and light grey slacks with black socks which just all oddly didn’t match but seemed like a run-way look that would become Korea’s next trend. Since the man had the most incredibly handsome actor-like face. His features were a wondrous mix of soft and hard, masculine and feminine, serious yet also cute. The way he looked reminded Daniel of a Russian blue cat that hated people. He didn’t have the same eye color but that sort of icy, cool, ‘fuck off’ look was quite astounding yet attractive. He felt an immediate pull to the man and curiosity made him think of a hundred questions.

His first comment, however, wasn’t anything especially intrusive as he got the sense this feisty kitten needed to be approached with caution. This chic guy had yet to smile or greet him as would be customary since Daniel was technically a guest in his room, after all. That attitude was more attractive and amusing to him than offensive or irksome, however. Especially that beautifully arched, perfectly groomed raven brow over his melancholy, frosty, coal black eyes that were almost as big as manga character.

“Hello, I’m Kang Daniel from room number two but I’m going to be moving to one soon, that’s my goal anyway. Go big or go home is one of my mottos. Never settle for number two when you can be number one is another. Is your surname really Ong? Are you full Korean? Because I’ve never heard that name in my life.”

“Yes, I am. Some people get frequently confused with Oong or Gong or Hong. But no, it’s just Ong. I’ve heard there’s less than 800 people in history with that name in our country. As far as I know, I don’t have blood from anywhere else though.”

The way that he spoke was dead-pan, slow, and articulate, almost like an announcer that made very few mistakes and wasn’t rushed for time. It was soft and airy and had a musical quality. Daniel liked it instantly, even if it was lacking in any sort of emotion or warmth at the time. It was the first day and he had no idea what this guy had been through. He surely had a reason for being unfriendly and guarded. Maybe he hated this place or the others hadn’t been treating him well. Maybe he’d just had a fight with Sungwoon was here yesterday, since that guy Daniel knew could be quite abrasive and arrogant which put people off and didn’t leave a good impression.

Technically, Seongwoo had been here two weeks. Daniel wasn’t sure why he hadn’t been put into his schedule yet but he figured that Swing was having the more experienced Doms break Seongwoo in. He had overheard that Seongwoo was a total virgin before he came here, which was interesting to him because it was rare.

Daniel sort of envied that as well. That meant that Seongwoo had been considered a precious commodity enough that he hadn’t put in the roughest, dirtiest of the service jobs. Like where he had forced to start.

Daniel hadn’t been a virgin since he was seventeen years old, actually. There were too man kinky Chinese men in the executive world that had a thing for Korean mean with large, fit bodies and cutely sexy faces like him. Sometimes he hated that he had a naturally big body and fiery spirit but he couldn’t really change who he was or what he looked like so he just had to play the best he could with the cards he was dealt.

He’d at least caused enough trouble and played mind games with staff to get out of there after just six months, putting himself in gradually better jobs and working his way up to the easiest ones that everyone preferred to have. The facility where they were given structured freedom and had few hours of work and didn’t have to even see any creepy Chinese pervs. They saw him at work but not the other way around. He barely even had to interact with the Swing guards who he truly hated with a passion.

“Um, can I come in, hyung? You are older than me, right?” Minhyun had said that Seongwoo was his ‘friend’ so that mean that he should be the same age as him.

They exchanged birth dates. Daniel smiled and nodded, satisfied that Seongwoo was only a year older than him. That would make it easier to chat and get to know him and maybe become close friends. Once that intimidating icy wall was melted.

He wondered what Seongwoo looked like when he smiled, laughed, slept, or especially when he was flushed, panting, and moaning underneath him.

He flushed and scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed at the direction of his wayward naughty thoughts. They weren’t even due to be on air until fifteen more minutes. Usually he wouldn’t go so early because he preferred to go take a rest or chill in his room for as long as possible before he spent the night with a Sub. However, Jisung had told him that with a newbie it would be better to go and talk for awhile before they started trying to be intimate. It would be better for broadcast by making things less awkward and it was common courtesy. He had heard by asking around out of curiosity that their new recruit was difficult to approach.

“I’m cold, hyung. It’s quite windy here and as you can see I made a poor decision with my outfit choice trying to make a good impression on our first meeting.”

Seongwoo’s face softened just slightly, appearing apologetic as his pretty eyes with the fan of impossibly long, thick darker than the night sky lashes drifted down. A sweet pink tint decorated his bare, flawless skin right over his sculpted cheekbones Daniel envied as he slowly took in the younger’s veiny, buff arms.

Daniel felt conscious of them until he saw that familiar spark of appreciation. So, Seongwoo liked his muscles just as much or possibly more as the other Sub’s. He squared his shoulders and smirked, feeling proud and amused at that knowledge.

“Wait until you see me without a shirt on. The other Doms you saw have baby abs compared to mine. And if you want to, you could hang your laundry on my shoulders. As long as you call me handsome and never cute, especially on air, then I’ll let you do it,” he joked, pulling one of his brightest, breeziest smiles.

Seongwoo started to laugh and then stifled it, hiding the tilted corner of his thin, wavy shaped lips with a long-fingered, elegant hand. Daniel noticed then that the sleeve was slightly bulky because it was over a roughly taped, bulky bandage stuck on his wrist. He wondered if he had hurt himself because he was clumsy, maybe on the desk or dresser edges which were known to be sharp and unbuffered, or if something had happened with Sungwoon.

He frowned as he looked at it, on the verge of asking if Sungwoon had gotten violent and planning to march over and have a quick talk with him, possibly punch him his greasy, cosmetic-covered face because it was justified. Daniel wasn’t the sort to just sit back and see acts against justice happening before his very eyes. Seongwoo noticed that he was looking there and quickly put his bandaged arm behind his arm, not saying anything about it.

His icy eyes twinkled just a bit with amusement and his lips were still faintly smirking with a hint of sexy attitude. “You think your funny, don’t you, big guy?”

“Yes, I do,” Daniel admitted with a wider, cheekier grin. “You definitely were holding back a laugh. So, yes I think I’m funny and so do you.”

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes in a bratty fashion. “Whatever. I was scoffing because it was lame. I’m tempted to take your word on it though. I wonder how many of my socks will fit on your back because I don’t have anywhere to hang them, hmm…”

Finally, Daniel was given permission to come in. The chic, smirking, extremely handsome elder stepped back into he room and waved him in. When he came in, Daniel saw that the room wasn’t yet much different than the last time he’d been there. Well, the guy hadn’t yet earned enough points to buy anything to change it up. He seemed to have very few possessions. His desk merely had a couple books, a black notebook, and an mp3 player with headphones messily wound up on top that looked ancient.

“We’ve got ten more minutes. Um, would you like something to drink?”

Seongwoo walked towards the fridge, fiddling with his arms that were now completely covered by the sleeves up to his hands. The resulting sweater paws look reminded him again of a cat, making him smile. It was interesting that Seongwoo was nearly as tall as him but seemed several inches shorter because he hunched his back and moved with uncertainty as if he was uncomfortable with his height and rarely stood up straight.

“No, I’m fine. I don’t like to drink anything before the broadcast. Pee might come out and that’s just gross. I don’t know about you, but I’m not into that.”

That made Seongwoo pauce, looking like a startled dear with his pretty eyes bugged out nearly twice the size. “That can happen?” he asked, sounding horrified—the first actual emotion in his tone.

Daniel couldn’t hold in his laughter then. He laughed dorkily, covering his mouth with his hand in a bashful manner that was a habit he had with people that he wasn’t accustomed to.

“Yeah, it can. It’s fortunate that you haven’t experienced it, let me tell you.”

“It really is. Thanks for the warning. That would just be…mortifying. Bleh.”

Daniel laughed again, liking the educated cute way that he stuck out his tongue and how he spoke almost as if he were born thirty or forty years ago. It just showed they had grown up in very different areas of their country. As well as the complementary opposites of their personalities.

He couldn’t wait to talk to him more after the broadcast. Try and find some common ground. If he liked music and drawing, then they might just have something in common there already that they could chat about to kill the times while he was forced to sleep over. Daniel didn’t like to waste time only sleeping unless he was forced to because the Sub just wasn’t his kind of company. It helped cure the loneliness and keep away negative thoughts if he had something to do with the other, something that made them feel more like they were hanging out of their own will instead of forced to spend time together in captivity. It was the little things that could save your sanity in these service jobs, after all.

The minutes ticked by as they chatted about casual things like what other jobs he had, how it compared to this one so far, how did he like the facility, where had he explored on his day off, and how did he feel about the other Doms so far while sitting on the same side of the bed several feet from each other, a polite distance that Daniel let Seongwoo set. The man didn’t seem like he liked his personal space invaded off-air and he respected that, for now. On air was going to be a whole different story and he hoped that Seongwoo at least wasn’t going to be all awkward and difficult and skittish at that point.

“How good are you at acting, hyung?”

“Pretty good, I think. I’m learning you have to be to survive this job. Otherwise you’ll end up thinking this is just so despicable and wrong, not to mention not earn much points.”

Daniel noticed there was an intense sadness and self-hatred there as the slender man shivered, wrapping his arms around his body as if he were cold. He wondered if the elder got cold easily since he seemed to have very little body fat. Good thing that he was naturally warm, a furnace really. He had no qualms about warming the other up—at least he was attracted to him, more so than any of the other Subs.

After glancing at the clock that said they were about to go on air, he slid over to Seongwoo’s side. The man’s eyes shifted down and his way nervously, his fingers digging into his arms as he seemed to be fighting himself from leaning away. Seongwoo clearly wasn’t used to this or able to fully accept the act that they had to do just yet. It was sinful, yes, but it was necessary and Daniel knew that he could be forced to do some acts that were much more sinful and left you feeling so disgusting that you wanted to claw off your own bruised, scratched, infected skin with sanitizer.

He didn’t touch Seongwoo just yet. He merely set his splayed, large hand down on the bed and leaned in a bit closer with just his upper body in preparation to ask for their first kiss, at least that way they wouldn’t get deducted for a late start on the broadcast when it went on air in a few seconds.

“Hyung, the best way for us to get through this is to act. Especially at first. We need to create a scenario and put ourselves in those peoples’ positions. Imagine that we are them. Imagine our lives as theirs. Imagine how they’d feel. I was thinking of an idea for us if you’re alright with it.”

Seongwoo glanced at the clock and the TV which were now displaying them and read ‘on air’. His eyes then moved to his face, down to his lips, and then down into his lap, gulping nervously and clenching his white cotton shirt. “Sure, let’s hear it.”

“We are in a long-distance relationship after dating for several months. I come up every once in awhile from another city to visit your college dorm. We can’t spend more than a night together but that’s good enough. Because we love each other a lot and miss each other terribly. Even one night is enough as long as we can express how we feel in a physical way. If we think of it like this and try to go into character a bit, things will be less awkward. That’s how I heard that it’s best to do. That’s what I do at least since I’m a newbie as well. I heard you don’t really have to do that after six months or so when you get used to it and your body just acts on its own and you really learn to enjoy physical intimacy enough to just get through the broadcast like you’re doing business. What do you say, hyung? You think you can try that?”

“S-sure, I can at least try. Give me a minute to get into character then.”

“Okay, but I can’t just let you sit there, hyung. We’ll get in trouble. Sorry but I’m going to touch you a bit. I’ll try to make it pleasant. Just bear with it the best you can.”

Daniel slid closer, putting his slightly shaky, sweaty palm on the small of Seongwoo’s back. It arched with a jerky motion as if his skin rejected him. Then, Seongwoo bit his lip and forced himself to relax. Daniel stroked his spine, watching with a sympathetic, tender look as he got into character (he was thinking that his boyfriend was upset and he needed to comfort him as gentle and sweet as possible).

He leaned in slowly as Seongwoo closed his eyes, getting into character and taking deep breaths. Daniel inhaled as he nuzzled the brunette’s ear. He smelled tropical with a light scented cologne. He liked the combination. He could sense that Seongwoo had used the facility’s lotion this morning when he washed up. It made his skin silky. He pushed out his lips and lightly pressed along the rim, then the lobe, then behind his ear and his neck to the edge of the neckline of his ivory shirt.

Seongwoo shivered, tilting his head, his breath coming in faint gasps as he attempted but failed at getting used to a new pair of lips on his skin. Daniel kissed along his throat and pulled down his neck to kiss and nuzzle and inhale more. After a minute, he was rewarded with his first pleasure sound—a moan that sounded somewhere between a slight, muffled mewl and a purr that caused a vibration against the bridge of his nose.

The pink-haired, denim-clad man came up, cradling the jawline that could cut glass yet was as smooth and delicate as a lily petal or porcelain. They gazed at each other from a couple inches away, lips parted and breath uneven, their eyes dark with sparking desire and hints of awkwardness that was to be expected.

“Hyung, what did you think of me?” Daniel asked out of sudden curiously. “When you first opened the door.”

“Hmm, I found you intimidating.”

“Really?” Daniel laughed softly, brushing his thumbs along the sharp ridge, his other fingers sinking into the velvety, raven, coconut-scented locks. “Why? I’ve never heard that from any of the Subs before…”

“Your hair and your arms I guess. You kind of seem like the gang members that came to my high school to cause a ruckus. At first I saw when you weren’t smiling, that was kind of scary.”

Daniel laughed again. Seongwoo flushed and chewed on his lip, seeming embarrassed for a variety of reasons. Daniel felt delighted at this news. For one, what Seongwoo said was just adorable and endearing. For two, Seongwoo had made the first move in opening up to him by giving him two bits of personal information. Progress was made with the melancholy icy prince.

Ong Seongwoo was quite different like this. Absolutely beautiful and sweet the way he responded as if he were melting and so very sensitive to the slightest touch. It was clear that Seongwoo was a virgin. It was also clear to him that they had chemistry raging off the charts and schedules with him were going to be a lot of fun.

“And what do you think of me now?” he asked in a seductively husky voice, designed to make Seongwoo’s crackling desire increase in intensity.

“I think…you’re quite nice and caring. And…”

Seongwoo looked down, chewing on his lip and flushing deeper. Even his stuck out ears were tinted red. He was really cute when he got shy. Cute and incredibly arousing.

 Daniel hadn’t felt this turned on from so little in well…ever. He wanted this older man that seemed several years younger, smaller, more innocent, sweeter, more precious and need of protection and care something fierce. He wanted to make love to him, not just fuck him. He wanted to show him that this act didn’t need to be all business and sinful. He wanted to allow Seongwoo to feel what he knew he was good at doing—that it was a pleasant escape. He had a feeling that sex with this Sub was going to be a whole new world entirely.

“And?” he pressed, inching closer, licking his lips to ensure that Seongwoo would stare there and giving him a smoldering, bold look that showed just how badly he was wanting him as the seconds ticked on.

 He succeeded, those sparkling, galaxy like eyes twinkling with a desire like coals sprinkled at the edges with building heat that would soon cause something to catch ablaze.

“And you’re really…sexy…” he whispered then gulped, tip of his pink, pointy tongue swiping his lips.

“Oh, that’s better than handsome even. For that, hyung, you can use me for more than just a coat hanger. You know this bed is broken, that’s why it’s tilting. I’ll fix it for you. As a reward for that comment.”

Daniel smirked, feeling amused and flattered as he leaned in to press his lips gently over Seongwoo’s thin, bow shaped, slightly wet ones. Seongwoo inhaled, closed his eyes, and leaned into him, almost melting in a way that told Daniel he was doing a good job.

The younger had confidence that he was good at kissing and he’d heard it a couple hundreds of times. He pulled out all of his stops for Seongwoo, giving him the hottest, sweetest, most romantic, gentle, and passionate kisses in his roster from right off the bat, wanting to impress him and to earn a massive amount of points that might help him earn a number one spot like he wanted so he could move to that larger room with the special privileges.

Their first ten minutes of broadcast time were spent making out and gradually getting into a cozy, firm embrace. Neither wanted to stop any time soon and Daniel relished in how right and comfortable this felt. Compared to how awkward things had felt earlier because of how guarded and unfriendly Seongwoo was being, the elder was something else entirely. Like a walnut with a creamy chocolaty center that was sugary and incredibly addicting.

 

 

Seongwoo wandered the streets of the suburb town with an iced macchiato in hand. He had visited the gardens already and relaxed while writing in a cafe. He had had two cups of coffee since it tasted so good, much better than the canned sort he usually consumed. Then, he had taken his leftovers out as he went shopping. He didn't have much that he wanted to buy since most things could be ordered with points, plus he didn't have much cash now. He merely enjoyed eye shopping, thinking of all the things he would splurge on if he was rich and more carefree and in a better mood.

When he had first come here, he was so depressed he barely left the grounds and he hardly ate. He would simply listen to music and cry or stare blankly out the window whenever it wasn't time to work, sometimes for hours on end. He regretted going there for awhile. At least with other jobs, he was kept busy and he didn't have much chance for his mind to wander or dwell. He didn't analyze his feelings or think about how pitiful his life trapped in captivity had become and how horrendous his situation was. He had been focusing on surviving daily.

Once he got here, to the facility, however, he had a large amount of free time. Which made him intensely, dangerously introspective and he had moments where he thought even living on day by day was pointless. Then, others in the facility had approached him and ignored his icy, stoic, guarded nature until he'd been forced to open up. That resulted in friendship. Since then, he found that he wasn't the only person who felt this way and that it was okay as long as he wasn't thinking of something drastic. They seemed to sense when he was thinking too deep or negative and steered him in a positive direction.

No one was better at that than Daniel. Since they had many serious talks, Daniel had seen him at his worst. Like when his flood gates finally burst. The first time he'd cried in front of anyone about his despair and his desire to go home and see his family. Daniel always knew the right things to say. He was good at comforting him and he was the only one that dared to touch him when he was upset despite knowing Seongwoo disliked it.

The truth was that he didn't dislike it all, but it was more that physical comfort at that time made it even harder to hold his emotions in. Daniel he didn't mind seeming emotionally vulnerable in front of. It was only a tiny bit embarrassing compared to before.

He thought about how he worried Daniel with his suicidal thoughts and hopeless negative thinking and how the younger always went out of his way despite his own fatigue and various concerns to get him to smile. That was really sweet but unnecessary. Even Minhyun thought of himself mostly. It was natural to. Daniel was weird to put so much interest in Seongwoo's mental well-being like that. As long as he smiled on camera, what did it matter off?

Still, Seongwoo found himself smiling often throughout the day as the months in the facility painstakingly dragged by. Sometimes because of what he saw or heard but mostly by recollections of Daniel. Any time he saw a cat or dog, Daniel popped up in his mind, for example. He looked like a dog but he loved cats and insisted he was more like one. He was also cute but hated to be called that. He was cheesy but that was funny.

He thought a lot about Daniel despite he told himself he really shouldn't on his rare days off. That kept that suffocating, whispering  darkness at dark at bay, which was why he hadn't harmed himself in nearly nine months.

He did end up having a good time and feeling pretty happy when he got back, possibly because he had been out looking for reasons to smile like Daniel suggested. He had ended up buying some clothes and a cap that seemed like it would suit Daniel's taste. He noticed Daniel's skin was fair and he put on sun screen a lot earlier so he must he concerned about maintaining it with the end of the summer sun’ sglare. A cap would help him maintain it better and he already knew Daniel looked great in caps. He looked more like a skater boy punk than usual. Seongwoo wondered if he had been able to grow up normally if that sort of look would have been his type.

 

 

Something funny and out-of-the-ordinary happened on Seongwoo’s way back. A guard who was short, cute, kind seeming and spoke Korean almost fluently approached him to help with his bags. As they walked, he introduced himself. He said he was Jaehwan and in charge of mandoo cheeks. It took him a moment but then he clapped his hands in an excited, seal-esque fashion as he realized it. It had to be Minhyun’s boyfriend.

“It's you! You’re Prince Mandu!”

The man smiled brightly, looking very young and sweet. “You got the hint right away. Great. Nice to meet you. Officially, that is. I already know your name is Seongwoo. Everyone knows the face genius with the cool sounding name.”

Seongwoo eagerly shook his hand up and down several times, smile not able to be stopped. “Nice to meet you too. Anything I can do to help with preparations?”

“No, we've pretty much got it covered. Just follow what they say.”

“Um, before I go in, can I just say thanks for helping me and even introducing yourself to me? That’s very kind of you.”

Jaehwan also seemed to have an issue not smiling, which made him different from the other guards who sneered, scowled, or lusted at him. He had little wrinkles that suggested he was almost always doing so. Seongwoo instantly liked him because of that. It was great that his friend had found someone who was a bundle of joy and good-hearted.

“No problem, Seongwoo. Any friend of theirs is a friend of mine. They are a good judge of character.”

“One more thing before you judge that too quickly. I'm sorry. You know with Minhyun that we have to do…that. Non-consual intimacy. Just so you know, it's just a job and in reality we're only friends. We not attracted to each other in the slightest, anything you hear about is just because we're convincing actors.” Seongwoo didn’t know why exactly, but somehow talking about their broadcast duties with someone not involved in it was really humiliating.

Jaehwan put his hands up, smile feeling slightly forced and his eyes tinted with gloom which was understandable. It must not be easy for him to know that his boyfriend did that sort of thing and they both had no choice in it for the time-being. He’d been dealing with that situation for a year as well. Seongwoo wasn’t sure the extent of the pain and discomfort he must have felt, but he admired him for being positive and sticking with his friend through that. That must be true love, the kind that he wondered if only existed in Disney animations.

“Say no more. I get it. I've been with the darker sides of Swing and similar underground companies for ages. My whole life really. Family profession that I got stuck in and am hoping for a way out of. I know he has no choice just like yourself. We all do what we need to survive and thus I hold no hard feelings about it. I would rather have him here than some other jobs he might have to return to, honestly. Here is a lot less demanding and much safer.”

Seongwoo showed obvious relief. He took the bags back and squeezed the other's hand on the way subtly so as not to draw suspicion from other guards that they were being overly familiar. He didn’t want to risk the team being discovered.

“I am glad you feel that way and unfortunately you're likely right.”

There was a long pause but it was cool that it wasn't awkward unlike how Seongwoo usually made things with first meetings.

“You know about that rumor that if you become popular with hard work, they will let you go free. Is that true?”

 Jaehwan shook his head with solemn expression. “Sorry to say I think it's simply a farce. I haven't seen that happen yet. If it could, then Daniel should have been released already. He's got over half the company’s profit currently. Think of that.”

Seongwoo looked at the ground and nodded, fighting back tears. That fool. Daniel knew it was likely not to be true but all this time he had been working hard with that goal benefit in mind. Yet it wasn't possible true, which put all his years of effort to waste. How cruel and sad of a fate was that?

“Hey, don't be sad. I'll get in trouble with Daniel. I was supposed to keep an eye on you. He will be furious if he thinks I made you cry today on your relaxing day off. Ugh. Please don't.”

Seongwoo sniffled and swiped an arm across his eyes. “Not that telling me to stop a hundred times is an effective way to get someone to not cry, but I really shouldn't. Daniel would scold me. I promised not to be such a cry baby months ago and I’d been doing so well.”

“You shouldn’t worry your boyfriend like that. It’s hard when we see the ones we love cry and know there’s not much we can do about it since the problem has nothing much to do with us.”

Seongwoo bit his smiling lip, face heating. “He’s not my boyfriend, just so you know. We’re just friends. We don’t have that sort of relationship. Certainly no love in the air between us.”

Jaehwan had question marks flashing all over his face like he was genuinely surprised to hear that. “Oh? He’s not? The way he looked when he talked about you sure seemed so…”

“Did it? He’s always smiling and laughing. Not just when he talks about me. You probably misunderstood. We’re just close friends. Well, as close as you can be in a place like this.” Seongwoo shrugged, gesturing with his open hand in an undermining manner.

“Ah, I see. Sorry that I misunderstand. Don’t let that make things awkward between you.”

There was something about his expression that was mysterious, like he was keeping some sort of amusing secret to himself he’d just recalled. That was irritating to Seongwoo since that reminded him of Minhyun. He preferred honesty to secrecy in all situations, so it was an irksome trait to see in two out of the three people he would be trusting his life to with this coming escape plan. However, the other person was Daniel who was honest and trustworthy enough for three men’s worth. So, he decided to let that pass.

“Can I possibly ask you another question?”

Jaehwan snickered. “You sure are a curious one. Go ahead. I’ve got nothing better to do.”

“How did you and him even find the time to meet enough to get close?”

“When it comes to the one, Seongwoo, you don’t need that much time usually. Some people fall in love after just one meeting. Us, well, it took several. I happened to be the guard on duty while he went out is all. And once I talked to him, I instantly liked him, not just because he was handsome. After that, I arranged the schedules so we always went out together.”

“Ah, I see. That’s a good tactic. It’s nice that you have the power to do that.”

Jaehwan observed him with that mysterious, amused smirk again that made Seongwoo fidget with discomfort. “Is there some way you would like to rearrange your schedule? Who do you fancy having a stroll with?”

“N-no, I’m fine with an-nything…”

He silently cursed and literally pinched himself for stuttering. His mind drew up a particular handsome blonde with a radiant, dimpled smile.

Jaehwan nodded. “Right~ You don’t want to say it out loud but I got you. I’ll see to it.”

“I’m fine, really! You don’t need to change anything on my behalf! Um, thanks again for the help. I’ll see you around.”

Seongwoo rushed up the stairs to the second floor of the complex, face a flaming tomato. He smacked his lips, grumbling insults at himself under his breath like a sailor.

When Seongwoo got in, he noticed that Daniel had left his bag by his bed. Inside he found a note, flashlight, batteries, paper clips, peppers, and metal utensils. ‘We’ll need this later. Everything that I’ve left there is in this list. Please put it in this bag. Don’t worry about being discovered. Daehwi is deleting everything that’s suspicious from our footage. Still, to be safe, you know, use the blind spots as much as possible. Today is D-14’

“Two weeks to go…” Seongwoo whispered in awe.

He finally had a date. Seongwoo smiled brightly, swallowing down a squeal of giddiness. Then he looked through the list, trying to recall where all those various items were that Daniel had been hording in his place accidentally. He didn’t at all have the foggiest clue what half of it was for though, since he hadn’t been let in on the plan.

 

 

Daniel was ecstatic to see that his schedule overlapped with Seongwoo’s. That day they both had their days off together, for the first time ever. It was as if until that point the scheduler in Swing or possibly the Swing leaders themselves had been going out of their way to keep Seongwoo and Daniel apart. Though there wasn’t any particular reason for it, or at least there wasn’t any that he knew of.

He initially kept it from Seongwoo because he wanted it to be a surprise. That was why he purposely left later than Seongwoo the day after their broadcast schedule and managed to stay in the shadows or hide behind buildings and trees with Jaehwan’s guidance to not be spotted until an hour into the brunette’s stroll. It was entertaining playing spy, watching Seongwoo pick and smell flowers, slinking around in that insecure, hunched, feline like way he had through the dirt trails between the blocks of flower beds.

Seongwoo looked so pretty with his hair styled down in soft, slightly messy waves dressed in an oversized fuzzy pink turtle neck and white pants it was hard to distinguish him from the flowers. Daniel waited until he was immersed in a novel inside of a cozy café to order an iced americano. Seongwoo didn’t notice he was there until he plopped down in the wicker chair right across from him. He looked up with a blank stare and blinked his ebony, doe eyes nearly a hundred times.

“Daniel?” he asked in disbelief as if he weren’t sure if he were dreaming or awake.

Daniel sipped his Americano around a smirk, acting cool and casual. “Yes?”

A curved eyebrow went gracefully up, making him appear a sort of villainously sexy. “Are you supposed to be here? Please tell me you didn’t take risks by breaking any rules just to see if I’m enjoying myself or not.”

“I didn’t. We’ve got our days together this month.”

Seongwoo turned startled, looking like a surprised squirrel. “Neh? Since when? Last week was the start of the month and we didn’t. Wait, something is fishy here...Jaehwan didn’t really…”

“Yes, he did. Did I tell you he’s an exceptionally nice guy? He got our schedules switched like it was as simple as addition,” Daniel commented proudly as if he had ordered Jaehwan to do it himself.

He hadn’t actually. Jaehwan had done it all on his own for some weird reason. Probably to have Seongwoo help him with the escape or so that Daniel could brief him in peace. It was a great idea. He only regretted that he hadn’t thought of it himself. He should have made up some excuse to get their schedules lined up ages ago instead of pining for a day to hang out with his hyung outside the stuffy confines of the room.

“Hyung, what’s wrong?”

Seongwoo appeared distressed as he repeatedly slapped his forehead. Daniel frowned and reached out to catch his wrist. He really didn’t like seeing Seongwoo upset and especially not hurting himself.

It reminded him of a time that he’d chanced upon Seongwoo cutting his wrist in the bathroom and he’d given the other the fiercest scolding of his life. That was the first time that he’d seen Seongwoo burst into tears and it was the day he learned just how inwardly torn up he was. Before then, he had only had suspicions why Seongwoo's wrist often had some sort of bandage on it that he avoided answering about how he'd gotten hurt. From that day, he knew for sure that Seongwoo was harming himself and the reason was to cope with his bouts of depression.

Remembering how close his friend was to taking his life each day made Daniel extremely anxious and frustrated. Was there really nothing he could do for him except have him talk those feelings out and get him to smile again, he used to wonder. Thankfully the plan had happened.

He still had nightmares of Seongwoo bleeding out on the floor or jumping off the balcony without him being around to stop him, however. He wouldn’t fully put it past the melodramtic man either. D-day couldn’t come fast enough and Seongwoo had no idea likely how grateful he was to see that Seongwoo was still alive and unharmed even each day he visited. It had thankfully been several months since fresh cuts covered in skin-tinted bandaids showed up. One of his scolding and talks must have finally gotten to him.

“Talk to me. Please don’t hurt yourself. Ever again. In any shape or form. If you're upset, you promised to talk it all out with me. What's wrong? What happened with Jaehwan?" 

Seongwoo looked up at him with a sheepish grin and guilty look, knowing the worry and stern tone in Daniel’s voice stemmed from past incidents. “Ah, it’s nothing really serious. Jaehwan just assumed from something I said or did that I wanted a schedule change to be with someone. I guess he figured it was you. He thought we were dating, did you know that?”

He had known that. He hadn’t mean to imply that but he was guilty of letting it slide once. He had figured it would make Jaehwan more willing to accept him in the group. In addition, he had sort of liked the idea of their names being put together once it happened, of being part of an item for once. He couldn’t tell Seongwoo that though. If Seongwoo didn’t like skinship and compliments off camera, then he would most definitely be uncomfortable with that knowledge.

He blatantly lied with the entirety of his miniscule acting skills, “Did he really? How funny. Ha ha ha…”

Seongwoo didn’t comment if he noticed how awkward Daniel’s laugh was at that moment.

“I thought so too. I told him we’re just friends. I don’t really get why he thought so. I guess you smile a lot when you talk about me? Maybe you should be careful of that or people will think you’re dating just about anyone. Since you're such a happy virus infected puppy.”

He probably did. He wasn’t sure about that. Seongwoo was a friend that made him smile and laugh a lot. So, it was likely that he unconsciously brightened when talking about him. That was normal. They were besties after all. It wasn’t like he only smiled or smiled more because of Seongwoo than anything else, surely. Yeah, things will be easier if I just keep telling myself that, Daniel thought with pricks of guilt. 

“I smile all the time, psh. That hardly gives anyone a reason to assume we’re dating.”

Seongwoo laughed and bobbed his head rapidly which was extremely cute and resembled a squirrel. “Exactly, that’s what I said!”

“Did he say anything else? About the plan?” he asked curiously, steering their talk down a different lane as quickly as possible now that he was safely out of hot water.

Seongwoo crossed his arms and pouted. “No, he refused. The three of you keep leaving me out of it. I don’t like it.”

Daniel barely resisted the urge to reach out and pinch his cheek or squeeze his arm in comfort. No skinship off-camera, Seongwoo doesn’t like it, you shouldn’t make a nice guy uncomfortable just because of your odd habits, he’ll think something if you do it too much and there’s nothing weird for him assume, he reminded himself. He wasn’t sure why but it was harder and harder not to touch Seongwoo affectionately or subtly off-cam these days.

“My bad. We won’t so much in the future. Now we’re outside and only he’s looking after us. I can talk about it freely now. Let’s get that business out of the way and then go around town together, just having fun like we’re normal young adults. We’ve never had a chance to hang out, but I’ve always wanted to.”

Seongwoo shyly smiled, eyes drifting to his open book. He admitted with a genuine note in his soft, airy as clouds voice, “Me too…”

Daniel gave him a short run-down of the plan though the fine details and some of the things they needed to get were still unmapped. Seongwoo seemed pleased to be finally be ‘a real part of the team’ now he was trusted with more knowledge of the plan. They finished their drinks and left with Seongwoo in a much giddier mood. It was nice to see.

Daniel asked him what he wanted to do. Seongwoo excitedly commented that he wanted to shop, eat pizza, and watch a movie together. That’s precisely what they did. They goofed around in random stores and picked out clothes for each other to wear, in the end buying matching shirts even since they both liked the style and wouldn’t make a sacrifice. They ate the cheesiest pizza at a small shop they had ever seen that was incredibly messy to eat. They laughed at each other attempting to bite the long strings of mozzarella. They went to the cinema and watched a gory horror movie that they found more comical than terrifying since the effects were so terribly done and the blood clearly fake.

 

 

On the way back, Daniel insisted on carrying Seongwoo’s two bags though they were hardly heavy at all. They were playing a word game with the signs that they saw on the way back to the facility, the sun setting into tangerine and coral colors in the backdrop, making for a rather quaint, romantic atmosphere. Daniel looked down and watched their arms swinging close by as Seongwoo talked to himself, trying to come up with a word that started with a w.

“Ugh, there’s nothing around here. I give up.”

“Eh~ Giving up isn’t something Koreans do.”

“Fine, then. I’m not Korean. I don’t even look full Korean. I’ll just say I’m Spanish then. Hola, amigos, uno dos tres…”

Daniel chuckled as he counted in Spanish with rather fail pronunciation that would clearly give away to anyone that he was lying about his heritage. He continued to watch their hands swinging, comparing the shape and skin color. Seongwoo’s arm was paler, thinner, and less veiny than his. His wrist was daintier, his fingers slender and longer. Daniel’s hands were more masculine while Seongwoo’s hands were a pretty and graceful version.

He wondered how even Seongwoo’s hands appeared fragile and lonely and made him want to shield, protect, and hold them close. It took every fiber of his being to control the urge to take that slender hand in his. Why did he want to hold his friend’s hand so badly? Was he really that much of a skinship addict? Or was he this desperate for someone to date that he would even take his male best friend and risk their friendship for a single moment of feeling what it was like to be in a relationship? He needed to get back home and focus on exercising and the rest of the details of the plan.

The two gasped and jerked their hands away, smiling sheepishly as they touched the tingly backside where they had accidentally brushed.

“Sorry, that was my fault.”

Without thinking, he had recalled how nice Seongwoo’s hands felt and had stretched his hand out unconsciously so they’d brush together. Where on earth is my mind? Stay focused and don’t be rude!

“It’s fine. Why are you acting like you committed some crime?” Seongwoo chuckled, pretty face luckily not appalled or disgusted but rather relaxed and a rose shade. “I wasn’t offended, more shocked because of the static spark.”

Daniel looked at the ground, brushing his arm, feeling like his ears were on fire. “Ah, I see. Well, sorry about that then.”

Seongwoo’s eyes were on him with amusement. “Stop saying you’re sorry, Daniel. It doesn’t suit you. You don’t look like a ‘sorry, sorry’ kind of man.”

“How about now?” The blonde smiled wickedly as he put his hands together and rubbed them while singing a song from nearly a decade ago.

“You still remember that? Wow, it’s coming back to me,” Seongwoo commented in amazement, then followed his moves and sang along. “Sorry sorry sorry sorry…”

They performed the chorus and half of the once very cool, trendy dance moves. Then they were laughing too hard to continue trying to recall the rest of it. The rest of the way back, they reminisced about famous singers from their generation, arguing about which idol group or hip-hop artist was the best at that time. Their first ever hang-out session was terrific and both hoped that it wouldn’t be their last, though the day for the escape attempt was approaching fast so who knew. Their first date might have just been their last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally you get a fluffy chapter. Not really dark and not even smutty. And you even get a super long, detailed flashback of their intial meeting and thoughts (thanks to the reader who asked for this, originally I had no plan or thoughts about it but it was a good thing I believe that you made me think about it because I'm pretty satisfied with what I came up this very day in the cafe). I hope you're getting a good sense about their relationship and how they're life has been there and how their dynamic has been gradually changing in a slow burn fashion. I'd like to avoid other flashbacks to more difficult times for them but I can if it's necessary for you to visualize a bit more. If you really want pain, I can give that to you, maybe as a side chapter. But I'm trying to make this story more emotional and action based, dark is just slight.
> 
> Sorry if I have scared anyone with tags. It is angst with a happy ending. There are mentions of suicidal thoughts and self harm but I won't show even flashbacks of Ong doing that. And no one is dying most definitely! It's got fluff and flirting and comedy and smut as well so lots to like. Don't let the tags freak you out~ Overall it's not merely a super dark, gloomy story.
> 
> Anyways, continue reading please please please. I'll come back in 4-5 days then~ We will be on the escape chapters which is the majority of the story. ON will be free and that's when things get really complicated and I can focus more on them developing their relationship. If you're reading, I hope you might drop a comment or hit me up on twitter or cc for those who are shy or can't for whatever reason. It's always really great to see inspiration and helps with writing so very much and I'll leave you a big sweet reply back from now on I promise ^^
> 
> <3 Raina


	5. The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team enacts the plan to break out of the facility. Will they make it to the forest unscathed?

"Are you sure it's okay?" Seongwoo whispered.

Him and Daniel were on the bed, fully dressed but the blankets still a mess from their session that finished ten minutes ago. They were getting ready for the escape.

Daniel paused in checking the contents of the large, black bag to smile at him in reassurance. "Yes, I'm sure it's fine. I found a note from Daehwi yesterday under my door. He got us an hour long window of protection. Right now the cameras are down and the mics are muted from a malfunction. He's left alone to watch while the other tech guys are busy with a server issue he created. He assured me it will take at least an hour for them to fix."

"Alright. We should hurry up then, don't you think? In case something goes wrong."

Daniel watched in amusement as Seongwoo chewed on his lip in that habitual, nervous way he had. If he had more time and he was allowed to, Daniel would press his thumb on the dip of his chin to free that succulent lower lip and kiss it.

"This sort of thing is all about timing, Ong. If we rush, we're more at risk of getting caught. Try not to be so anxious. Things are all worked out to even plan D in the event something goes haywire. And we're right on schedule so far. Minhyun will come by within five minutes."

"Then we've got to break the secret door in my bathroom open. What if it's harder than you think though? That might mess up our schedule."

Daniel put on his leather gloves and zipped up his combat jacket over his usual hoodie. They both were wearing clothes good for traveling at night through the forest with nearly bullet proof vests Jaehwan had managed to acquire just in case. Daniel's gloves would prevent his hands from slipping and injury. He was expecting to have to fight so they had metal bars hidden over the knuckles to pack a more solid punch. His boots were extra thick and hard as well in case he needed to kick.

The blonde was ready for battle and he planned to protect anyone who needed it. He hoped he had a chance to fight because he had a lot of stacked up revenge towards Swing guards and he’d missed fighting. There hadn’t been any need for it since he’d been forced to come to this facility so he could be more properly managed like a caged, rabid dog. Those hands were not for harming one particular person. As strong as they were, they became just as equally gentle coming in contact with his friend.

Seongwoo's eyes widened and his cheeks tinted as Daniel brushed along his jaw. Those round, ebony, often more than not melancholy eyes spilled out ‘what is this stupid pup doing touching me again off air? The nerve.’ The younger ignored that slightly icy look because he felt like he needed to and desperately wanted to touch the elder then.

"It's going to be fine, Seongwoo. I won't let this plan fail. I won't let something happen to you. I’ve never let anything happen to you, remember? I even fixed your bed the first time we met so you wouldn’t get your pretty hands all calloused and scratched. We're going to get out of here together. You're safe with me. Trust me."

Seongwoo blinked at him, his hesitation and anxiety slowly fading. He gulped and nodded, attempting a tight smile.

"I do. Thank you for that time and now and all the other times you helped me out. I might not have two hands otherwise. I'll stop worrying and just follow your instructions, Captain."

"Good. Finally, the brat listens. After a whole year, what a miracle," he joked, thinking of how every time that he tried to help Seongwoo with anything, the bristly, independent man always had to argue.

The tension in the air was relieved majorly as they laughed and thought back to various incidents like the one with the bed. They had been comical at the time but in reality, it allowed the subtle deepening of their relationship as Seongwoo came to rely on him more and more and let the other in, even to see his most vulnerable, pitiful sides. Seongwoo was like a rainbow cake, each layer was unique and tasty in its own way.

"I need you to take these into the bathroom. I'll check on some things."

Seongwoo took the 'tool kit' they had gathered together and put in a CD case. It was for breaking and entering through the panels that connected a secret tunnel Jaehwan had discovered in some old plans of the facility infrastructure he stole. It was their only way of getting out.

The back of the facility towards the forest area wasn’t heavily guarded as the front and other side closest to the road that led to town was. Their plan was to follow the rough map Jaehwan and Daehwi had laid out through the forest trails two days walk towards a much smaller town. The hardest part would be getting through the tunnel undetected and getting several hundred yards through the garden area which was hardly invisible without guards being alerted and capturing them.

Daehwi had done all he could. He could not assure there were not guards there, but he had set the plan up to occur when there were usually only one or two guards patrolling that area. He had also turned the cameras himself minutely over the weeks inch by inch until there was a perfect albeit slim blind spot they could follow with the designed map they had to get from the first floor back door to the thicket which was their safe haven. There was a slight chance of risk of being spotted despite their precautions, but Daniel didn't tell Seongwoo that because he wanted him sharp, confident, and mostly at ease.

He of course did not say that there was a chance the tunnel was busted, long-since removed, or that they couldn't open it with the tools they had. It was impossible to bring an actual tool set in because than it was obvious, they were planning something either to escape or kill themselves. They couldn't get access to any newer plans to tell if the tunnel was still there or not.

While he was waiting in the bathroom for further orders, Daniel tried to calm his own nerves and get focused. He checked that they had working flashlights with extra batteries, water bottles with tight lids, tissue for going to the bathroom in the woods, bandages and ointment in their make-shift first aid kit for any small cuts or sprains, a blanket for sleeping, snacks and canned goods and their utility knife. That was going to have to be good enough because any more, the bag was at risk of breaking.

They couldn't afford to bring comfort items like skin care or toothbrushes, but he did pack a comb since he knew how much Seongwoo cared about his hair. Enough that his mood would be worsened if he had to go days without brushing it at least. Daniel wanted to make him as comfortable and happy as possible though the whole experience was sure to be nerve-wracking. Though he wouldn’t tell Seongwoo personally that he had cowlicks because he was low-key crushing on those adorable rebellious strands that were determined to make the handsome, chic man look cute against his will.

The door opened very softly. Minhyun was here. They had managed to get his day off switched to this day so the couple could easily come in after their (wow, last!) broadcast had ended.

"What about the footage?"

"Daehwhi must be deleting it as we speak. I'm supposedly in my room as far as anyone else knows."

Meaning Daehwi had blacked out his room for an hour after he was seen going in and deleted the footage of him going back out.

"How is Jaehwan?"

"In position. He will be talking to the family downstairs soon."

The plan was for Jaehwan to send the innocent Chinese family out on an emergency safety inspection after rumors of a gas leak. That gave them twenty minutes to break in and ten minutes to get out the door before his inspection time was up. Following, they had roughly twenty-five minutes to sneak carefully through the blind spot to the forest before Daehwi would be forced to turn the cameras back on and everyone saw they weren't there. Then the search party chase would be on. They would likely have a few hours head start because the guards were lazy and dumb like that--they didn't have the prisoners whole schedule memorized, so they didn't know when a person who should not be missing was.

If they wanted any hope at getting to the hotel where they were protected by their promise to pay for fake ids and a call from Guanlin, Daniel's brother, with some cash incentive, they needed at least a thirty-minute head start. The guards weren't likely to search all through the night either, so Daniel planned for them to be on the move as much as possible, especially at night to extend the gap.

"Good. I'm all packed."

"Me too."

Minhyun showed his bag with a cheeky grin. Daniel scowled and rolled his eyes. The other Dom was clearly smug about that his bag was bigger and fuller. He was the arrogant, bratty sort that liked to rub in things that he was smarter, taller, and more handsome. Daniel figured it was an inferiority complex since he was bulkier, more popular, and as anyone knew around here, had the bigger dick. Minhyun would always be second best to him and they’d probably always bicker whenever they met because of that. Well, that and the fact that Daniel didn’t want to lose to him in regards to Seongwoo especially, which was why he was quite embarrassed and irritated then.

“Shut up, Hwang,” he snapped.

Minhyun snickered with a triumphant smirk. "I didn’t even say anything. Where's Seongwoo?"

"Bathroom." Daniel jerked his head in that direction, mouth tightening and hands suddenly clammy.

He didn’t really want to tell the other where Seongwoo was. This would be the first time that he would see an Onghwang interaction between his very eyes. He regretted going on to the site illegally and watching a video on their channel. He had been curious why they were popular.

He hadn't at all liked what he had seen. Their acting was so convincing Daniel was almost convinced Seongwoo had lied to him that they were just friends. They seemed close and perfect together. He had never experienced jealousy before, but it was a disgusting, irritating feeling and it was creeping up the pit of his stomach again.

He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he went towards the bathroom too. Minhyun and Seongwoo were lightly bantering about who could handle what tool better, making flirty eyes as they made their jokes sound sexual.

"Let's be quiet and focus, shall we? Time’s ticking by." He remarked grumpily.

Seongwoo looked surprised and hurt almost like he had been reprimanded. His expression from then on as he fiddled with the edge of the bathroom tile pannel with a butter knife read sad kitten a hundred percent. Minhyun smirked in that secretive way he had almost like he was mocking them. Daniel ignored his gaze, not wanting his feelings exposed before he had fully figured them out. Likely he knew that the reason their rivalry worsened the past few months was related to Seongwoo. The elder was surely amused by it but Daniel was thankful he hadn't spilled anything about his irrational attitude.

As he worked, he kept glancing at Seongwoo. The handsome man hard at work doing something physical that was not sexually related was quite distracting. His hair was falling in his scrunched up, pink face, making it hard for him to see.

Once when he was sure Minhyun was not looking, he reached out and brushed it back. Seongwoo looked up and smiled beautifully, appearing grateful. Daniel immediately cleared his throat and got back to work with the fork he had, trying to ignore his tingly hand and forcing his face to remain serious.

He wanted very much to touch him some more but he had to be careful about that now more than ever. From now on, any touch would have no excuses because they weren't employed partners. Seongwoo would wonder why he touched him often and then he'd ask questions, such as the reason. Daniel needed to think hard about how he could answer that.

As of yet, he didn't understand the extent of his feelings for his friend or where they stemmed from. If they were genuine or fabricated.

He needed to keep his priorities straight just then. There was no point in thinking about a possible relationship with Seongwoo when any careless move from not concentrating could result in one or both of them not getting through this plan alive. He would have to figure his complex feelings out later and decide if he wanted to do something about them or not. Right then, he needed to focus on survival tasks and protect his friends at all costs as they were relying on him and desperate.

 

 

They worked in silence, putting in all their strength and concentration on pulling up the pannel after breaking the worn, rubbery seal around all edges. It took less time than they expected with three. The fact that Minhyun and Daniel were impressively strong because they enjoyed working out was a huge factor indeed, but so was that Seongwoo was surprisingly skillful at breaking the seal. They observed and followed his successful method. The pannel was just big enough of a square hole for them to squeeze through one by one.

"Thank God it's still here."

Seongwoo jerked his head, staring at the blonde with irritation. An alabaster hand swiped out as he attempted to put his hips through to the curved, dusty rubber vent inside before his wrath came. He didn't make it. His back was slapped repeatedly and the echo of Seongwoo's squeaky voice followed him as he slipped inside, making a face.

"Wait, you mean you didn't know if it was even there still? How many other risks are you not telling me Kang Daniel? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Shh!" Minhyun whispered anxiously, holding Seongwoo's arm in case he fell head first in and hurt himself. "We have to be quiet, Ong. Things are louder in vents. Don't move or make a sound. Go down like a slide. You can trust Daniel. He didn't tell you all the risks because he knows once you panic and doubt the plan, you might be put in harm’s way. Or worse, put the rest of us in jeopardy. I know it's scary but we can't stay here. We will be severely punished if we're caught even trying this which is too late since the bathroom is torn apart. No way they won't notice that during the security checks later this week."

"Fuck. So I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't," the brunette groaned, running a hand across his face.

Minhyun flashed a sympathetic look. "Yeah, pretty much. But it's better to be damned trying to escape and take the risks. It’s more likely than not we get through at least this next part. Daniel, Jaehwan, Guanlin, and Daehwi have worked hard to plan this out and I promise they've got back-ups for all kinds of scenarios. Every break they've met up secretly to discuss and think of the possible issues they need to counter. Daehwi is a genius, by the way. He's also full Korean and forced to work for Swing. He's even more trustworthy than Jaehwan. If that's what you're worried about, some kind of huge betrayal."

Seongwoo sighed, tense shoulders dropping. "Ugh, I don't know anymore. I'm way over my head here. I've barely even watched spy movies. I don’t think I can be a sleuth. I could get us all killed."

"No, you won't. It's simple. Just keep moving, follow Daniel's instructions, and keep quiet. No one's dying. Unless it's Daniel jumping in the way to save you."

Seongwoo appeared to be in disbelief. "Eh~ He wouldn't. What am I to him? We’re barely more than friendly strangers."

Minhyun chuckled as he slipped his feet into the hole once Daniel signaled with a flashlight that the tunnel was clear for the next person. He was remaining silent, waiting in the bathroom of the house below. Meaning him and Jaehwan had already succeeded in getting that panel off as well.

Seongwoo's heart raced but he wasn't sure if it was adrenaline, nerves, or the mention of Daniel caring enough to die for him. That wasn't possible, but he found himself rather hoping they were close enough to do that for each other. He wasn't sure if he would do anything crazy like jump in front of a bullet for his friend if the situation arose, but he had a suspicious feeling something would make him. After all, Daniel had taken care of him well and even invited him in on this plan despite he had nothing to contribute and was as good as dead weight.

Those feelings--how much of them were really leftovers from getting too immersed in his acting during their sessions?

He had no liberty of time to figure that out just yet. He was thirty minutes away from possible death and permanent separation from Daniel. This was hardly the time to be wondering the nature of his complicated feelings. They might be up for execution in two hours. In the past, guards had taken runaways to the punishment rooms and there followed gun shots or terrifying screams all within thirty minutes of being caught.

"Keep telling yourself that, Seongwoo. At least it could prevent you from doing something foolish."

Seongwoo frowned as he disappeared. Was Minhyun suggesting he was in denial of liking Daniel? Or of Daniel not being close or important to him? What sort of foolish thing did he suspect that he would do related to Daniel? Was he talking about the mission? Or afterwards when they were on the run?

The brunette hadn’t the foggiest idea.

The light from below clocked twice, signaling Minhyun was in the bathroom and it was time for Seongwoo to join.

Seongwoo shook his head, snapping back into focus. He put on the other’s backpack they had with the tool kit inside as well, then stuck his feet in the hole. The idea of slipping into the black, grimy tube was suddenly terrifying and unpleasant. He took deep breaths and pressed down on his heart as he perched on the edge about to slide down.

"Don't be a coward now when there's much more to come. Stop showing your uncool said. Let's be more like Daniel. Cool, manly, calm, confident. We got this. It's just like a water slide."

He switched the bag to his front and held it tight as he jumped. He slid down much slower than he expected towards the bottom dimly lit from the flashlight. At first, he closed his eyes expecting that would make the trip easier but he ended up not needing to because in front of him was pitch black anyway. The rubber under his back felt smooth except for a few small ridges that felt like wire rings under the surface. Luckily it wasn't the least bit painful or any more frightening than a normal slide. He was only humiliated a bit from his earlier scream which he had muffled by biting his lip.

Daniel's gloved hand was the first thing to greet him in the unknown world that laid beyond the other end of the tunnel. He grabbed his feet and helped him slide out and down. The hole turned out to be a part of the shower wall. Daniel's sturdy, warm, gloved hands gently helped him stand up. He could just make out the blonde's face near his illuminated by the flashlight.

Good thing Daniel couldn't see the relief or flush on his face. He was extremely happy to see Daniel again, his trustworthy protector and leader. The reason he felt embarrassed though was those warm, large hands were patting his back, sides, and legs for any injuries and that reminded him of various intimate moments. Those hands as always were unbelievable amounts of pleasant and caring as if he were a blind man admiring his first ever sculpture.

"I'm fine, Daniel. It didn't hurt at all. You can stop the frisking."

"Sorry."

Daniel appeared sheepish and guilty. He hadn't realized how much he'd been touching the other in his concern.

"I got snagged by a wire in there, so I was worried. Luckily, it seems you missed it."

"Oh my God, you what? Where? Let me see!"

"Me too. Not that anyone here cares. My boyfriend hasn't even shown up to check if I'm alive."

The flashlights directed to Seongwoo's left where Minhyun was complaining. He looked perfectly fine and unphased though Seongwoo noticed that Daniel now had a cut on his shoulder. The wire had torn his coat and shirt and scraped the skin. Luckily as he observed it with worry, he noticed that it wasn't deep and would soon stop bleeding.

"You're bleeding. We must have missed it because we're slimmer. That massive upper body of yours, what are we supposed to do with it sometimes. It’s really not good for anything but one or two things. Let me get the tissues."

Seongwoo made a fuss until Daniel held his wrists lightly, forcing him to pause. "Seongwoo, it's just a scratch. We can take care of it later. Keep moving and stick to the plan like I said, remember? We've got a time schedule to match. That’s much more important than my scratch or blood. Let's be ready for Jaehwan's signal."

The tone was both stern and just the right amount of soft. Seongwoo understood that as Daniel was grateful for his concern but he was serious about leaving his wound alone and staying focused. Seongwoo couldn't help feeling miffed. He had just been concerned about a friend and it would only take ten seconds to put tissues on his wounds. What if Daniel got infected later and they had to amputate?

He crossed his arms and pouted. "Fine, bleed out or lose your arm if that's what you want. See if I care."

"Hyung, don't be like that~" Daniel whined cutely in his thick accent, poking the brunette's arm.

Minhyun snorted at their sudden change of character that didn’t at all fit their situation. "What's with this romantic drama right in front of my salad? I really need to get out of here before my nice skin wrinkles with all this cringe."

They split up and went silent then, realizing they were acting like a married couple right in front of someone else who was already suspicious of their relationship despite their insistence they were just friends. A minute later, Jaehwan rapped his knuckles on the bathroom wall—saving the day, bless his soul.

They opened the door and snuck out single file. They tip toed down the hallway with Minhyun in front. His face lit up and that's how they knew Jaehwan was there. Jaehwan motioned them out and then towards the kitchen. The family were sitting in the living room watching TV and wouldn't be able to see them unless they walked out into the area.

"I'm almost done here. I just need to check the hallway now. It could get loud but don't be alarmed. It's better not to come this way either. I smell gas in this area. It wouldn’t be a good idea to breathe it in."

After explaining to the family, the masked man rapped on the walls, masking the sounds of the three's steps and the back door opening. Daniel moved to the lead, holding Seongwoo by the wrist so he stayed close and was stuck safely in the middle. They all stayed crouched and moved as stealthily as possible, holding their breaths so even that sound would not put them at risk of being discovered. Jaehwan continued rapping and talking to himself likely even after they slipped out, leaving the door cracked to hear what was going on and so Jaehwan could slip out a few minutes later once his check was finished.

 

 

When they got out of the room, they were relieved to see that the lush garden area was completely clear. The only signs of life in the setting sky and grassy, slightly overgrown flower beds were some bees, butterflies, and tweeting birds. That was the first time they had ever been outside without a guard or two in the premises.

"Nice. Just as Daehwi said. We better go quickly while the place is still unwatched."

Daniel pulled the map out of his bag and unrolled it. Minhyun and Seongwoo looked curiously over his shoulder. It didn't seem like the crude sketch was that complicated but they should be careful to follow it exactly or they would risk stepping outside of the blind spot.

"Minhyun has a better memory than me. I'll stay in the back to keep watch. Fight off anyone who comes."

"Fight? Do I need to?" Seongwoo asked, alarmed and head spinning like an owl.

Daniel turned to smile crookedly, one of his attractive dimples popping out. Seongwoo tried not to stare at it but it was always quite distracting. Talk about inappropriate timing, why am I lusting and unfocused right now? 

"Well, it would be good if you could, hyung, but I don't expect a weakling to be much help. You have long legs. If there's an issue, I want you to just run for the forest as quick as you can. Don't even think about the path. Don't look back unless you hear footsteps. If it's not us when you turn around, don’t fight please. You’ll be at risk. You just run as fast as you can, following the trails. They should be marked with a yellow ribbon. Jaehwan saw to that, though it's not all the way."

Seongwoo wanted to argue but he couldn't. Daniel was right. He was fast and he had managed to improve his baby abs and stamina, but he wasn't much good at fighting. Him getting caught would lead to him being tortured, spoiling the rest of the plan for all of them because of his low pain tolerance. The idea sent chills down his spine. Daniel reached out to hold his arm as he visibly shivered. Seongwoo smiled in reassurance.

"I got it. Follow Minhyun. If you say run, then that's what I do. Like an Olympic athlete."

Daniel’s smile was proud and gorgeous. It made Seongwoo fill with warm, fuzzy sensations to have said the correct thing. A second later after some slight hesitation Seongwoo wondered was a trick of his eyes, the younger ruffled his hair with his large, warm hand, the waves dancing and ending up a total bird's nest.

"Right, you do just that. Let's go now as there's no use waiting around talking more. Follow Minhyun and stick close. But not too close because…you might trip. You know how clumsy you can be. I'll lag a bit behind, keeping a sharp eye out with Jaehwan."

That's how they proceeded with the most dangerous part of their plan. Executing the fleeing in open ground for hundreds of yards. The forest didn't guarantee safely. Who knew what or who was waiting for them in there or if they'd be able to stay two steps ahead of their future pursuers planning on dragging them back to Swing and likely punishing them in the cruelest, most traumatizing ways before putting bullets through their pretty heads.

Seongwoo shivered as he thought about the methods he had heard in other places he’d been or seen even. Minhyun noticed that as they walked past the first flower beds. Daniel again sensed his unease instantly as if he were hyper-sensitive. He reached back and held his hand this time, giving a reassuring smile. It calmed Seongwoo just enough to remind him he needed to focus sharply on the now instead of the future what ifs negatively.

That wasn't going to help them now to be scared of repercussions. He needed to keep his head straight and help the others out at least by staying alert, not getting caught. Knowing his clumsy self, he would do something stupid to draw attention and fumble the whole thing up.

"I'm alright. Keep going. Quick as you can. Don't go even an inch off stray. We have no second chances."

Seongwoo gulped and nodded, then turned forward. They began walking, gravel and dirt scrunching and puffing up dusty clouds around their feet. They became silent, the surroundings strangely much too quiet so their movements were sharply amplified despite their caution.

He was incredibly worried about Daniel and Jaehwan who he couldn't hear behind him. As they inched forward, with Minhyun stopping to check the map to be sure on some confusing parts of the convoluted gravel path between the overgrown beds of wild flowers, his neck kept itching to turn back to see they were coming. He eventually couldn't stop himself.

He saw Daniel stepping slowly backwards several feet away from them, going down the same path. Jaehwan was walking on the outskirts, pretending to patrol as usual guards would do. As long as they stayed in the blind spot and no other guard came, then they would get through successfully.

When he was turning back around, however he noticed something weird. There was a shining, flashing, tiny light coming from the corner of the building. He thought it might be just a natural phenomenon from the window or a potted plant or mirror. Something was off about it as it continued to flash no matter which way he moved his head and he acted on instinct.

Seongwoo squinted to get a closer look, faltering steps causing a rustle of dirt and rocks. His bad feeling was correct. It was was the reflection coming from a gun and he could see a bit of a gray color. It turned out it was directed at Daniel and the bullet just barely missed him because Seongwoo tackled and pushed him to the ground when he had instinctively without hesitation  acted on that bad feeling.

"Shit," the blonde cursed, reaching around to protect Seongwoo's head as the bullet and three more shattered the center of the flower bed in front of them.

They were showered in rock, grass, and soil. Jaehwan shouted at them to run and that he would handle the guards coming. There were two the pair noticed as they dared to pop up their heads and look bend. Luckily, they weren't shooting anymore--they ran out of bullets accidentally rained at their feet. They were running instead. Running straight at the closest pair of runaways to capture them.

Daniel cursed again, hurriedly pushing Seongwoo up on his feet.

"I will handle these two. You both run. Careful to stay in the blind spot though. There's a chance no one heard that with the sort of gun they’re using. I'll try to knock them out before they can call for back up. Usually these kind of jerks want to try to handle it themselves so they can take the credit and get better rep and incentives that way."

"But--" Seongwoo hesitated, holding on to Daniel’s arms and glancing with worry at the approaching guards. He didn’t like that the odds were two on one, plus they were armed. They would not be allowed to to kill them but shots and heavy injuries we're allowed surely.

Daniel gave him a stern look. "You promised to listen today, Seongwoo. Remember the plan. Don't look back and run like hell. I can take care of things. You underestimate me. You're getting through this. We all are. Now go before I get pissed off."

Seongwoo slowly let go, his body shaking and tears filling up his eyes. He didn’t like the idea of Daniel being angry with him or the mission failing either. He decided he had no choice but to trust Daniel as he often had. Usually his concerns were unnecessary anyway. Hopefully it would be the same for this case.

"Okay, I'll run. Be careful. I better see you tonight," he threatened seriously.

He hated the idea of leaving the two alone with fit, combat trained, armed guards.

However, Daniel was also right. He had promised to listen and stick to the plan. Daniel was strong and knew how to fight as well. Which meant he needed to run like a bat out of hell to safety behind Minhyun who was waving frantically to him.

"Go, Seongwoo, go! I'll see you in five minutes!"

Daniel pushed him, slightly amused, flattered smile at the elder’s concern and clinginess falling back to a grim expression as the footsteps dawned closer. Seongwoo had no choice but to look away from him and run the opposite way, his insides writhing unpleasantly for the contrary. He followed Minhyun then in three times as much of a hurry as before through the maze of flowers. He seemed anxious and hesitant to go forward far as well though. They both kept glancing back every ten seconds to see what was going on behind them.

Jaehwan was the first to enter into alteration. One guard had yelled at him for being blind and not stopping the escapers. Jaehwan had acted calm and indifferent until the guard was close by. Then, he had swung his fist. Once the injured guard realized Jaehwan wasn't on their side, he lunged low at him.

Jaehwan fell back a few steps from the hit, but managed to plant his feet before he fell over and get the man in a headlock. The guy swung his arms, jabbing Jaehwan hard in the side and pushing him like an angry bull. Jaehwan was merely holding him, looking panicked about what his next move was and pained, hoping the guard would get tired and let up.

Daniel had run off to the open field to meet the guard but he ignored Daniel and went for them instead. He was freaking fast and he was able to run straight unlike them.

Minhyun cursed as Seongwoo tugged on his sleeve. "We need to go faster. He's gaining on us."

Daniel was motioning for them to speed up as he ran after the guard with all his might. He managed to get about a yard behind but at that time he'd caught up with them as they were just on their way across the field too.

Seongwoo was suddenly grabbed by the arm of his jacket. He agilely spun in a panic and the guy’s hold luckily slipped off. The two burst forward with all their might. The man followed Seongwoo, targeting him alone as he zigzagged a few feet behind Minhyun who was at a dead run, barely looking away from the map to keep them in the blind spot.

Seongwoo cursed as the man caught his hood this time. Thinking fast, he stopped abruptly, making the man rushing forward slip again. He ran a bit to the side this time but he had to stay on the blind spot part in case he risked other guards finding them. It was four against two as of yet so it was still manageable. He didn't want to be the one that messed it up when they were so close.

He cursed and groaned in pain as a stitch in his chest came because of the excessive bursts of exercise his body wasn't used to. It was too late to remorse about not training more before this day happened. He never thought he'd have to do so much running.

He grabbed his chest as his body slowed despite his fervent efforts. He heard Daniel curse and call out to him, asking anxiously if he was okay. He was grateful he wasn't barked at to run because he couldn't at the moment despite he desperately wanted to and was inwardly screaming at himself for being such a weakling when the team needed him not to be.

The damn persistent guard was after him again. He could hear the boot steps slamming across the grass. He felt like prey in a losing battle with a predator in the Safari. Tears filled his eyes from the pain in his chest. He tried to massage the aches in his lower joints and thighs and the feeling of frustration. If only his stupid body could hold out a bit more.

Minhyun was already in the forest outside the cameras' range. If he made it there, they could take care of the guard together. Just a bit further, you can do it legs…

He felt cold hands suddenly wrap around his throat. It hurt terribly. He couldn't breathe even more so than because of his stitch. His skin burned. His mind was a staticy frenzy as fear seized him.

The man was choking him, running right by his side. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth, trying to run faster despite the pain the friction caused and the searing stabbing in his ribs. He pushed at the guy's arms but couldn't get him to budge. Then, he was suddenly gone, flying to the ground with a black figure clinging on him.

It was Daniel, a gasping, stumbling Seongwoo realized. Daniel had managed to catch up and tackled him to get him away from Seongwoo at the perfect moment. Once again, he comes to my rescue with perfect timing, my hero. If he wasn’t in a mode of panic, he’d cry from feeling relieved and touched. Daniel had protected him just as he’d promised. He watched from the corner of his eye as he continued to jog as fast as he could push himself to towards where Minhyun was waiting, anxiously watching the scene from behind a tree.

Seongwoo’s shaking, teary eyes were on Daniel as Minhyun’s were on Jaehwan, both holding their sides and panting. Both were in the midst of a one-on-one battle with two beefy guys.

Jaehwan had his guy sprawled on the ground, head now squished in between his thighs, waiting for him to pass out. 

Daniel had just started his fight. They gripped at each other’s clothes and hair as they rolled. When they came to a stop, they separated and jumped onto their feet, getting into a sparring position.

Daniel was the first to throw a punch, looking furious. The guard blocked and dodged. Daniel moved around him in a circle with his stance low and his gloved hands up near his head, eyes sharp and full of cool rage. This time the guard punched. Daniel easily dodged, then turned around and threw a fierce kick. His black boot landed square in the guard’s stomach.

When he dropped a hand to his stomach and stumbled back, Daniel lunged with his fist flying. The metal part of the glove swung right into his cheek which sent the man flying to the ground with a bloody cut on his face. Daniel wasted no time being merciful. He grabbed the kneeling guard by the hair and used his other fist to perform a strong upper-cut. The man fell backwards and laid on the grass, motionless. That did not stop the wild, furious blonde who had practically become another person after seeing his friend strangled and chased from hitting one of the Swing bastards he abhorred some more.

 

 

In the shadows of the thicket next to Minhyun, Seongwoo who had been watching with awe (once he realized Daniel had the upper hand)and throwing his own imaginary fists like he was watching a fight on TV applauded. Minhyun glanced over at him with a raised brow. Seongwoo giggled and continued clapping.

“Wasn’t Daniel cool? He finished that guy off in under a minute. That small-fry had nothing on him as an opponent. I bet he wishes he would have stayed in the break room eating donuts instead.”

Minhyun softly smiled and chuckled. “Yes, I guess he was cool. You had nothing to worry about, like he said. Also, did you think of who he was doing that wild punching for?” he teased.

Seongwoo flushed and waved his hands. “He wasn’t doing that for just me. He was doing that for all of us. Daniel really hates Swing staff. And I wasn't going to stop him as they mostly deserve to beaten to a pulp.”

“Well, he sure was merciless. He could have just put him to sleep instead of coldly knocking him out and then re-arranging his face. That’s what Jaehwan did. It’s just as effective and more humane. I’m pretty sure there was a bit of revenge put in there. To get back at him for trying to choke you.”

“Eh, no way. You’re the one imagining up drama scenarios now.”

As he said that, he was clearly aware and embarrassed by how rapidly his heart was racing and how he suddenly felt queasy like things were moving about in his tummy that shouldn’t be.

“Are you both okay?” Daniel asked while fixing his gloves and wiping off the guard’s blood as he came over.

They both nodded with small smiles. Daniel’s eyes still held some of that earlier fury, sparks crackling as they zoned in on Seongwoo’s throat.

“Hyung, let me see your neck. How dare he play foul like that. I might have done him in more, but I didn’t want to waste time. Or the bullets. He deserves to be fucked up for doing that to you. He is lucky we are running short on time.”

Daniel scowled and cursed the guard more as he observed the scratches and bruising on Seongwoo’s pale, slender throat. Minyun gave Seongwoo a telling look over the blonde’s broad shoulders. Seongwoo heated up, moving away from his fingertips despite the touch was comforting and pleasant. He didn’t want to continue feeding Minhyun’s imagination.

“It looks worse than it feels. It barely stings. We can put medicine on it later, along with your scratch wound.”

Daniel gave him a disgruntled pout, clearly wanting to argue.

“I regret what I said earlier. So this is what it felt like for you. Let’s take care of all injuries now as we wait for Jaehwan to come over.

We won’t have to worry about them calling anything in. I’ve got their walkie talkie and Jaehwan will take care of the other. They’re both going to be asleep for awhile before they’re able to tell about his and as far as I know none of us were outside the blind spot besides Jaehwan. It’s likely that they will believe we were headed for the main road anyway. We’re still a bit out of the danger zone.”

As he spoke, he knelt down and unzipped his backpack, pulling out bandages and ointment. Seongwoo let him tenderly put the ointment on with an extremely focused, concerned expression as Minhyun leaned on the tree, smirking as he merely observed, sometimes glancing back impatiently for his boyfriend.

Seongwoo tried not to seem affected by Daniel’s caring gesture or his proximity or how sexy/manly he looked right then, especially after seeing him fight so well. He probably failed, seeing as how Minhyun kept snickering and wiggling his brows at him.

Seongwoo rolled his eyes and grabbed the ointment with irritation, cutting the treatment short. His mind was more the reason though, continuing to think how hot he found Daniel right then and what he would do to him if they were on air.

“Jaehwan’s almost here. Let’s get you bandaged up.”

“Oh, right. We should. Sorry that I was taking so long. I just didn’t want to miss a spot. You could scar and that would be such a shame. You know, you have a lovely neck…”

Daniel drawled off, tinting to his ears and shyly smiling as if that had come out all by accident and he regretted not stopping himself. Seongwoo sort of regretted it too. It was great to hear compliments as always from Daniel, but it was embarrassing to hear them rather than in public, in front of others who were judging their interactions and especially their expressions.

He used all the acting skills in his arsenal to pretend to appear cool and indifferent as he smeared the ointment and ripped the bandage with his teeth. He’d just stuck it on, well aware that Daniel was gazing at him with that smoldering look, when a whistling, sauntering Jaehwan came up to them. He was spinning a walkie talkie in one hand and a pistol in the other.

“I thought we might need this down the road. You hold on to it, Daniel. Since you know how to use one.”

“He does?” Seongwoo raised an impressed eyebrow and looked at the blonde who sheepishly scratched the back of his head as he pocketed the gun.

“Yeah, I do. I learned from another abductee just in case it ever was necessary to protect myself or get out of a jam. Jaehwan is a much better shoot.”

“Well, I work security in China. So, yeah. I know how to use a gun and I’ve had some situations where I’ve had to use it. I’m never exactly out of practice. Still, I don’t really like guns and Minhyun would be uncomfortable because…Well, let’s just leave that as is. You keep it.”

Minhyun had stepped several feet away despite his boyfriend was there. It must have been because he disliked guns or had some sort of fear of them, Seongwoo figured. As soon as the gun was pocketed, he stepped a few paces forward. Jaehwan looked at him and stretched out his hand, a huge, delighted grin spreading across his face, making his fluffy cheeks are the more marshmallowy.

“Hey, baby. Missed me? Because I’ve certainly been missing you.”

Minhyun nodded with a shy, pretty smile on his face. They held hands and looked like they really wanted to embrace and kiss but were too aware of their audience so they held back. Not that the other pair really minded. They thought the couple was cute and suited each other as soon as they saw them together. They had differences in height as well as one was cute while the other was coolly handsome.

Daniel zipped up the bag and tossed it over his shoulder, lightly brushing Seongwoo’s arm as he passed by onto the dirt, leaf, and pine needle covered trail. Seongwoo bit his lip and touched the tingling spot, his eyes tracing that broad, strong back he’d always found insanely attractive. Plus the way that Daniel walked, carrying himself with long, confident strides like he owned the land as soon as he stepped on it.

“Let’s get going. We’ve got a lot of walking to do. We are likely to have a bit less of a head start than I anticipated. We can stop in an hour for water and snacks but I think we’ll likely have to travel the whole night the first night to get a proper amount of distance. I’m sure you won’t be able to sleep unless you’re put somewhat at ease that your throat won’t be slit while you’re having a good dream.”

The three started following him with their back-packs in toe. “Aye-aye, Captain!” “Yes, Commander!”

Only Seongwoo nodded, remaining quiet which truthfully wasn’t that strange. Nor was his melancholy, blank expression as he stared after Daniel and drug his feet through the twigs and needles littering the cool, shaded forest floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi hi! I'm back. And welp. There's my attempt at action. hahaha. Lame I know. I wish I could do more and write it better but I've been thinking a lot and got nothing so it is what it is. It's only my second ever attempt at an action related scene. I hope that the escape wasn't totally boring and very sorry as it is. This scene makes me nervous since it's another challenge for me. This whole story is full of challenges for me. I can't say with confidence that it's good but I just want to try and see if there's something I can't do rather than trying to impress anyone. It's better to know what you can't write well and then practice it and I can't really know unless I try. I've always thought I can't really write action or dark or angst. So this whole story is just kind of for me, a sort of dare. 
> 
> Thank you for joining me on this journey of exploring a new sort of story. I'm really so glad to hear positive responses because I was geared up with armor prepared for war at readers being offended (hence the heavy tagging, since I figure with this sort of story it's better to overtag than undertag). I hope you stick with me to the end and continue to be entertained. Since it is a deep story, feel free to question and dig.
> 
> The hardest scene is out of the way. From now, it's mostly traveling or hiding out and dialogue/movement description plus a bunch of fluff or light angst as Ongniel's relationship gets more and more complicated. Did ya'll really think all the needed was to get out of the facility and everything with that couple would be peachy? Well, then, if you thought so maybe you don't know me haha. I love to torture my biases before they earn a happily ever after. Fun fact for those new to my fics. See you in 5 days then!
> 
> If you are antsy to wait, you can go check out my soc media au on twitter, it's all fluffy and flirty and fun.
> 
> <3 Raina


	6. The Cold Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group travels a couple days through the cold forest towards their hide out with the Swing guards in pursuit. Drama occurs, but not the kind that any of them expected.

Seongwoo found that he liked the comanding, coarse way that leader Daniel spoke now. It made him seem reliable and it was impressively masculine. He found himself mimicking Daniel very quietly as he followed behind the man who occasionally gave out orders and instructions, directing them confidently through the forest.

Daniel might have reprimanded him or done the same back if circumstances were different. However, tonight he had important business to do which was focus on the map and find the ribbons that led them through the right trails towards the small, obscure town with the hotel.

They traveled at as a brisk of a walking pace as they could go with Daniel in front and Jaehwan behind to warn them of any coming guards. He was listening through the walkie talkie, the occasional staticky voices of other guards and Swing workers being in general the only sound outside their soft footsteps and Daniel’s low, husky commands.

As promised, after two hours of walking when the sun had set and the sky turned a dark blue just before the stars and the moon came out, Daniel called break time. They sat down on the trail in pairs with their backs pressed together. It was a survival tactic; the best way for them to rest while easily keeping watch and not having any blind spots unless one of them grew careless or fell asleep.

The atmosphere between the pairs was quite different. Minhyun and Jaehwan were chatting and laughing while holding hands. Daniel and Seongwoo stared off into space, backs barely pressed together because Daniel was being considerate since his frame was much larger and he didn’t want to bring Seongwoo any further discomfort than what his neck, legs, and feet were already going through on his accord.

He silently beat himself up for not having been able to catch that guard earlier, for not being fast enough. He had promised that Seongwoo would be protected, that he wouldn’t let anything happen to him. Yet that jerk had ended up bruising that person that he cherished and vowed to. He was wracked with guilt and self-hatred, his confidence having taken a big hit as he wondered if he had made the wrong decision in inviting Seongwoo.

Was it really safer out here in the open being tailed by armed men who were trained and fit? Seongwoo had nearly died twice just in the span of ten minutes. Because of him, despite of him both of those times. He had luckily been able to reach him and save his life at the last minute but it shouldn’t have happened and the idea of it possibly not working a third time, say a guard chose to shoot at Seongwoo first hiding behind one of these trees…

Seongwoo was trying to think of something to talk about but for once, he came up with nothing. It was Daniel that was the first to speak and his tone was rather gloomy.

“Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” Seongwoo hummed, his heart picking up at the sound of the other’s voice he’d missed.

He hadn’t known how much he enjoyed that deep, husky tone or that cute southern accent of his until he’d gone so long without it. It was a relief but also torture for his nerves to hear it again.

“I mean, why did you nearly get yourself shot for me?”

Seongwoo fidgeted with his hands over his boney, folded knees and chewed his lip for several seconds. “I’m not sure. It was just instinct, honestly. A friend of mine was about to be in danger. My body acted on its own accord. I wasn’t really thinking.”

“Well, next time, don’t let it. Think before you act. That was a stupid move.” Daniel's tone was then icy and clip.

Seongwoo frowned. He mocked with thick sarcasm, “You don’t sound very grateful. Did you want to get shot? I’m sorry for saving you then, you ungrateful jerk.”

“No, of course not. But I could have gotten grazed and I could handle much worse than that. Not like you.”

Seongwoo felt sort of offended by the assumption he wouldn’t be able to handle a gun-shot wound. He refused to argue about it because he was sure he saw through Daniel’s rough way of speaking. Daniel expressed himself awkwardly because he was out of practice of it. He had learned that over many months the hard way through bickering.

He tried to speak calmer, sifting out the sarcasm for some more amicable warmth.

“Thanks for being concerned. I’ll be more careful when I see a gun. Even though we have the vest to protect us, it’s not like it would be a genius idea to jump in front of gunfire. I understand where you’re coming from.”

Daniel sighed, his shoulders sinking down into Seongwoo’s back, making him lean forward a bit more. The blonde's tone mimicked his, but softer,  “Next time, just warn me with words. Don’t jump into the rain of fire. I don’t...want to see you hurt. Once was bad enough.”

Seongwoo stiffened, voice changing to be firmer and more confident. “Hey, that wasn’t your fault. And I was handling it just fine.”

Daniel snorted, voice taking on an edge as he spat in reply, “He was freaking choking you, Seongwoo. And you could barely run anymore or even push him off because you were so exhausted from that little spurt.”

Seongwoo was about to defend himself, lying that he was running well despite the slight pain he felt and it wouldn’t happen again. He sensed though that Daniel wasn’t finished. His voice softened again and he rubbed up against Seongwoo’s back as if he were comforting him and trying to ease up the tension between them with a bit of his usual playful attitude. As if he felt guilty for starting an argument unnecessarily.

“I shouldn’t have invited you here or at least I should have pushed you to train more. I put you in danger when I promised I wouldn’t, more importantly. I’m sorry. For not thinking things through and not being a step ahead of the risks that hurt and scared you. I was careless. Things weren’t supposed to go that way. I didn’t factor in that a guard would choose to go after you solely.”

“Hey, now. There’s no way you could keep me fully out of danger. We’re on an escape mission from the mafia, Daniel, come on. Be realistic and lighten up on yourself. If it weren’t for you earlier tackling him and beating him to a bloody pulp, we all might have been in more danger. You’re the hero of the day. That was extremely entertaining to watch also.”

Daniel scoffed, shoulders tensing again. “Some hero. We got lucky. The real heroes are Jaehwan and Daehwi. They’re the masterminds. I was a bafoon.”

“Hmm, I don’t really think so. You’re the leader, so to speak. And the best fighter who is quick to act and full of calm and confidence. You got us all the way to the garden without any altercations, by the way. I will follow you first. And if a gun is coming our way, I’ll warn you to duck first next time. Because you’re going to be the one who is most necessary in a stealth mission. Wow, the way you kicked and punched. Just amazing and extremely cool. I wish I could fight like that.”

The tension left Daniel’s shoulders as while Seongwoo pretended to fight an enemy with flying fists he unknowingly slid back, leaning back more against the blonde. Daniel felt calmed and reassured to be touched by the other. The solidness, the warmth--it reminded him that Seongwoo was safe and he’d kept his promise, managing to get him out of that hell-hole. At least for the time being, a part of him could rest at ease knowing that Seongwoo was free of some worries and not as likely to fall down some black hole of negative emotions.

He hadn’t had much time to look at Seongwoo the last couple of hours but he dared a chance just then. Seongwoo appeared much brighter and younger already. His smiles and laughter came easier, even when Daniel wasn’t doing something special to make him that way. Seeing Seongwoo play around like that and not be shrouded by a cloud of misery and fatigue and uncertainty made the whole crazy escape plan worth it, even more so than gaining his own freedom and seeing his family and homeland someday. It gave him a sense of satisfaction and pride.

He did all that for Seongwoo, not any other Sub. He was in charge of his happiness, freedom, keeping him protected, destroying anyone who dared laid a finger on him with the intent to harm, cherishing him, and—

”Woah. Stop there. Too soon.” He forced his train of thought to halt abruptly.

They were barely out of the fire pan and still hanging over the fiery pits. He couldn’t yet afford to analyze his feelings yet, even to let them keep on expanding and morphing into complex knots. They were still days away from their hideout. Anything could happen with their pursuers and the fact that they were in the wild with barely any food and water and next to nothing in terms of weapons.

Daniel needed to remain sharp and keep on his toes. He needed to focus on only one thing--the mission at hand and keeping them all safe. Not just Seongwoo. Well, Seongwoo was surely the most important to him but he couldn’t dwell on the whys of that right then. Nor the how longs either.

“What’s too soon?” Seongwoo glanced over with a curious expression on his pretty face.

Daniel avoided looking at him, face heating and biting on his cheek so as not to stutter--uncool. “Ah, I was just talking to myself. I started to doze off which I can’t just yet. It’s too soon to sleep. Guys, let’s get going again in three more minutes.”

Seongwoo patted his own shoulder. “Here.”

Daniel looked there with confusion. Seongwoo repeated the gesture with a stubborn yet soft look.

“Here. Use my shoulder as your pillow. For a three-minute cat nap. I know that if you put your mind to it, you can sleep in just ten seconds after closing your eyes. I’ll let you this one time. A favor for getting those grubby hands off my throat earlier because it really was unpleasant.”

Daniel smirked. “I knew it. You can't bluff so well with me.”

Seongwoo smirked, eyes twinkling with amusement. “Right, I can fool almost everyone in the world but you. And you cannot fool me either. I can see you’re just as sore and tired and stressed as the rest of us, if not more so. Relax and breathe in the refreshing pines for awhile. You'll thank me for it.”

Daniel thought of insisting he was fine but Seongwoo didn't appear like he was going to give in. He didn't feel like arguing with him anymore today, so he just did as was requested. He scooted down and laid his head back on Seongwoo's shoulder obediently. It wasn't so easy but Seongwoo took the bigger man's full weight for several moments, remaining still and quiet so that he could hopefully have some peace and healing time.

 

 

The group traveled on not much later, taking a water and snack break every hour or so. Occasionally they had to stand watch as they went single file off the trail with tissues to go to the bathroom. Seongwoo and Minhyun who were germ freaks found that extremely disgusting. Daniel always came back squealing and batting at bugs. That always made Seongwoo laugh and tease him as the journey continued.

They became less intense and quiet as they traveled on and discovered nothing dangerous nor heard any signs of pursuers from Swing. According to the the voices over the walkie talkies, guards had been ordered away from the main road and big town to comb the same forest they were in. However, they were not worried at being caught up to any time soon.

The group started talking softly. Mostly Jaehwan and Minhyun or Minhyun and Seongwoo. Seongwoo wanted to talk to Daniel as he was used to talking to him a lot. However, he seemed to be busy or with a lot on his mind and Seongwoo didn't feel it was right to disturb him as the leader of their group shouldering responsibility.

He tried to take care of him other ways instead like offering water or a cloth for his sweat when he appeared hot, applying sunscreen when the sun was strong, holding the flashlight in front of his way so he could see clearly, and helping remove branches from the deeper overgrown paths they had to go through. He always looked at him then and usually only then with a warm, grateful smile or a quick murmur of thanks.

It wasn't until the second night of travel when he finally talked to him. They were laying in a grassy area with their bag as a pillow and one blanket to share. They had to lay close together and Daniel had given him more of the blanket because he noticed he got chilled.

“I'm hungry. I don't know how long I can go eating crackers and ham…” he complained, sounding like a kid.

Seongwoo giggled and glanced over at him. It was such a contrast to the way that he’d been speaking these days, merely to order them.

“I know just what you mean. I would give up a finger to taste some noodles now.”

“For me, a fat juicy steak medium rare.”

As if to emphasize, their stomachs growled noisily, making them both laugh like little kids. They glanced at each other with matching, youthful, relaxed smiles. Their gazes traveled down and then both looked away in embarrassment after thinking how they wanted to kiss, how it had been so long.

Daniel cleared his throat and pointed to a series of stars. “Look at that! It forms a triangle. Just like your moles.”

“Oh, cool. Hey, I can see yours over here. Kind of. There, down there, and over there. Can you see it?”

Daniel touched the right side of his face where his spread-out, faint moles that formed a large C shape. Somehow, he felt touched by the fact that Seongwoo knew something about him that wasn't immediately obvious. Maybe he had also studied his features while he slept, like how Daniel came to know he had a cute freckle buried in the folds of his right ear. Would it be okay to think like that? Or was that getting dangerously ahead of himself?

Surely it wasn't such a bad idea to think about something besides the escape right then when they were relatively safe, traveled quite far away from the facility, and were merely lying about to rest. The others were asleep. It was just the two of them awake. The guards still searched the forest yet their huge lead allowed them to be in the clear and res for now. He could allow himself to chat with Seongwoo as he normally would and think briefly about his feelings. Just a short moment wouldn't harm anyone or put the mission at risk.

He turned on his side and just stared at the elder for a long moment openly, lost in thought about just what did Seongwoo mean to him. It was hard since he didn't have an adult to ask him how to tell when a crush was happening to him and how that was different than affection and care for a friend he was also attracted to.

Lust was a factor sure, but he had felt lust for other Subs and even cared about them. Did that mean then that he crushed on them too? Was Seongwoo not as special as he thought then? How to define what feeling in love was like? Was it really the way he read in comics or saw in movies? Did being ready to jump in harm's way for someone mean love? 

“You're staring, Daniel. Do I look that awful?”

Seongwoo grimaced and covered his face, thinking the blonde was shocked at how ugly he was after so long outside with no shower and his hair all greasy. Daniel laughed softly as he gently pulled his hands down to his chest and locked them there with one of his own bigger, stronger ones.

“Don't hide your face. I wasn't thinking you're ugly. I hardly notice any difference.”

 Seongwoo scoffed.

"Liar.”

“Honest to cat god though. You look super handsome right now.”

“I've heard of a cat-dog from Nickelodeon. Who's the cat god?”

“The mother of all cats in the universe. The queen. The cat god. You never heard of her?”

Seongwoo rolled his eyes, biting back a laugh. “You and your cat obsession. Wow. Nothing really surprises me.”

Daniel joked with mock offense and shock. “What surprises me is you like dogs better. How could you? That’s ridiculous.”

Seongwoo pulled a duck face at him. “I do. What's wrong with dogs? They're loyal, cheerful, loving, playful full of energy.”

“Sounds just like me.”

“Yes, you do resemble one. You even have a collar.”

His finger moved to poke at the dog tags which had slid up his throat.

“Ah, right. I do indeed. Too bad I can't simply be found and called back home, right?”

Seongwoo hummed and nodded, smiling softly. “Right. Nice if life was so simple.”

Daniel absently went to touch the tags, not realizing that Seongwoo's hand was still lingering there. Their fingers brushed and they jerked away from each other like they had on their first outing. Their tingling, betraying hands then were stuffed under the blanket. They returned to looking at the stars in comfortable silence.

“I guess life wouldn't be great if it was always simple either though,” the blonde said as he thought of Seongwoo.

“I don't know. When I get back, that's what I want. The simplest, most mundane life possible.”

“Have you thought about what job you want to go for?”

“No, not really. We're high school drop outs basically according to our society. That doesn't leave us with much. I don't have any special skill sets.”

“You could do hair?”

“Neh?”

Daniel scratched his neck sheepishly, not looking over at him though he could sense Seongwoo's gaze. “It's just...well, I noticed you always have nice hair and you can do several different styles. If you learned a bit more about how to cut, I think you could be a hair stylist.”

“Oh...I never thought of that. I do like doing my hair and I am actually the one that cuts it because I'm picky about how the Chinese do it. Huh…”

Seongwoo was lost in thought. Daniel rambled as he had a tendency to do, mostly to himself, thinking out loud. Seongwoo had yet to ask because he didn't think it right to pry but of course he was curious what his future plans were.

“I used to be in a b-boy group. I loved dancing. I'm a bit out of practice but I haven't forgotten everything. Maybe I can teach a class or open an academy.”

“Oh, good idea. As long as you had some awards and certificates and a license to teach.”

“Yeah, we both need to get our GED and maybe enter some sort of one year technical school. It could take a while and be a bit complicated but…”

“But it's possible.”

“Right, it totally is.”

They grew more excited and of course restless as they talked about their future, making various possible plans up as they went along. This was not a topic they had ever really breached on seriously. Daniel could also go to college and become a programmer or professional gamer, they concluded. It was late but Seongwoo could still be an actor since he had a lot of unprofessional experience or a photographer which would be a safer route.

They sobered up as they started to grow sleepy, blinking up at the starry night sky visible through the leafy branches arching above them. The atmosphere became rather melancholy. It wasn't Seongwoo this time responsible for it as their other nights.

“Your family lives in Incheon, right? I suppose you will stay with them. While my mom lives on her own in Busan. She must be lonely with just the cats. I should stay with her for awhile. We will be six hours drive apart.”

“Ah, that's true. Well, we will be able to have technology access. We can email, call, or text.”

“It won't be the same.”

Daniel turned over on his side away from Seongwoo. He didn't want the elder to see him like that. He wasn’t comfortable with showing his more negative emotions. He didn’t like to appear weak or uncool. He also didn’t want to concern the other, who had enough emotional baggage of his own on his plate.

“Hmm, I guess so. Nothing is the same as a couple days ago. Change happens though. It doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's all about how you look at it. I want to take a page from your book and learn to be more positive. So, I don't want to think now that we won't be friends. Let's promise to keep in touch. We can make it a competition to see who is more successful. Hmm?”

Seongwoo forced a smile and cheerfulness into his tone in order to comfort the gloomy man. It didn't suit Daniel and it alarmed him. In addition to that it added to his confusions. He thought, if you say something like that what am I supposed to think? His heart flipped yet it also prickled at the thought that Daniel appeared unsettled at being separated.

That thought hadn't occurred until tonight and it hurt and made him anxious. What if he was still plagued with permanent loneliness because he didn't have his reliable ‘happy virus’ friend by his side anymore? Daniel might just possibly feel that way.

Whatever the reason why he was upset, Seongwoo disliked it. He felt like he needed to comfort him but that had never happened before. They were always the opposite roles in this scenario. He agonized over what he could say more and just decided that touch would work better since the man was a physical person.

His hand shook as he reached for the center of the blonde’s wide back. The brunette hesitantly pulled back and bravely reached out for several moments as the cool air filled with a light breeze and the sound of crickets, rustling leaves, and hooting owls. The dim, pale blue light of the moon framed the man's silhouette, making him seem somehow lonely and on the verge of cracking that solid, confident exterior. 

Seongwoo bit his lip and heated, heart pounding when he finally managed to boldly touch his back. At first, the muscles underneath tensed but after several finger pats, Daniel realized what was happening and who was doing it and relaxed. Seongwoo paid attention to his breathing as he pat his back in comfort.

Not much later, Daniel was asleep and his breathing slow and deep. It was the first time together that they hadn't stayed up most of the night chatting. It was to be expected though they were exhausted from the continuous hike and weak from lacking a sufficient meal. The first thing they would have to do when they got into town was pool their collected cash and go to a cheap restaurant to pig out.

 

 

 

“Morning, Jaenie.”

“Hmm, good morning, baby.”

Jaehwan sat up, wondering why his lover was up already. He had seemed incredibly exhausted last night yet there he was fully alert, sitting back against a tree trunk. He took his boyfriend’s hand in concern and snuggled up to him for warmth. It had been awfully chilly last night even with their layers of clothing and blankets. It was a sign that it was most certainly fall now. Good thing they hadn’t delayed the escape any further.

“Did you sleep well? I’m sorry if I kept you up with any snoring.”

“You were tired, it’s understandable,” the handsome, princely, slender man commented with a kind smile.“I slept well enough. Not nearly as well as those two. I hate to wake them up.”

Jaehwan glanced in the direction Minhyun moved his head towards. Several yards down was where Seongwoo and Daniel were sleeping. He snickered as soon as he saw the sight.

“Aw, they’re so cute~ They’ve obviously been in denial, but they can’t pretend anything when they sleep.”

The pair was lying on their sides so they faced each other. Seongwoo had his head tucked under Daniel’s chin and Daniel had his arm snugly around his back over the blanket as if he’d been trying to keep him warm and safe. They appeared incredibly comfortable and peaceful snuggled together like that, a tell-tale sign that it wasn’t the first time they’d cuddled. They would make bets it was a regular occurrence when they slept.

“They will figure it out on their own eventually. Let’s not bother them with any schemes. They could backfire and that would bring discord to the team.”

“I can’t wait to see their faces when they wake up,” Jaehwan giggled behind the ever wise Minhyun’s shoulder as he wrapped an arm around the other’s slim waist and squeezed, hardly able to contain his feels.

“Let’s not wake them up unless we have to. I think we can afford another hour. I am curious about what they’ll say. If it started before they fell asleep or happened unconsciously. That will give us some idea how to approach them about their obvious crush.”

“Right. Good idea. My baby is such a genius. I love the way you think. Scatch that. I just love you and everything about you. I’m so happy that we can spend more than just a day together. It’s a miracle. Even if this place is cold and hard compared to any motel we stayed in. Come here, you.”

Jaehwan pulled Minhyun down under the blankets back to the ground. They cuddled and kissed, otherwise remaining motionless. Their plan was to feign sleep and eavesdrop on the innocent pair intimately tangled.

 

 

Daniel was the first to stir awake. He wasn’t initially aware that the person his arms were around was Seongwoo. He considered pulling away and apologizing as usual when he knew, but when he saw that Seongwoo was fast asleep and shivering from the cold, he put his arm and the blanket back around him instead. He laid on their backpack a couple inches from him, enjoying the warmth and the view.

Seongwoo was seriously beautiful and he appeared even more so plus incredibly innocent when he was asleep. His features softened in a way that melted your insides the instant you looked at him. He had to bite back several ‘aw~’s.

A slight shift and sigh of contentment left Seongwoo with a chunk of his dark locks on the bridge of his nose, which then started twitching. Daniel immediately reached for it, running the flat of his hand over the top of his head so that the rebel piece slicked back with the others. The twitching stopped and a wide smile came to his face as he shifted closer to Daniel’s chest, laying his cheek on his jacket.

Daniel smiled warmly and reached forward as if to pet his head. Then, he stopped abruptly as he recalled their conversation last night just before falling asleep.

Seongwoo and him lived on completely opposite sides of Korea. In just a couple days, they’d be separated. Here he was just about to admit to himself that he likely had deeper feelings for Seongwoo when the whole time a relationship between them would be impossible. No matter what Seongwoo’s feelings for him or thoughts on the matter were.

Seongwoo was a lonely, insecure person. He needed someone there for him constantly helping him to adjust, showering him with compliments, reassuring him that he was loved, protecting both his body and his mental from any damage. Daniel wouldn’t be able to provide that right away. It would be like giving a cat a salmon treat and then taking it away cruelly as soon as he had a nibble.

It was possibly better that he ignore his feelings, not be so touchy, and draw a subtle but clearer line between them. That was likely for the best. It would be best to start sooner rather than later. Like today. He would give it a shot at weening Seongwoo away from him and vice versa, putting distance properly between them and maintaining their normal friendship. He could at least give it a shot.

The hand that was an inch away from Seongwoo’s forehead curled into a tight fist and swung away, not returning to the small of the other man’s back.

“Life just keeps finding new ways to suck,” he grumbled, slipping carefully some distance away from the sleeping man so he wouldn’t know they had been cuddling.

Daniel laid on his back and sighed gloomily as he glared up at the annoyingly bright, clear sky. It almost felt like it was mocking his contrasting mood so he cursed and flipped it the finger.

Finally, he’d found someone that he could possibly like and clicked well with. And for what? For absolutely fucking nothing. Because the timing and setting weren’t right. It wasn’t so simple as he’d initially thought: ‘get us both out of that hell and we can naturally figure out what this weird thing is between us’. Even if they figured it out, their future was sure to be messy anyway you looked at it. There wasn’t hope for them to be happily together in any way beyond friendship. That was the cruel, hard fact.

He stuffed his hands under his thighs, lest they betray him again. Every time he glanced over at Seongwoo, he looked so precious that he wanted to hold him or at least brush his porcelain skin and silky hair.

“Hmm, what time is it, Niel? Woops, sorry. I must have been cold…”

A sleepy Seongwoo apologized and jerked away, flushing with embarrassment. He had woken up to find himself holding and nuzzling Daniel’s arm. Daniel’s usual warm, friendly, forgiving expression was different today from the occasional times he’d caught him in a similar fashion in his room. He looked at him in an accusatory, annoyed fashion, his lips tightly closed in a straight line, his face handsome but rather serious and cold.

Seongwoo felt alarmed by that, wondering if he had done something else wrong he wasn’t aware of or if he’d endangered them by sleeping half the day. His body went chilled for a different reason than usual. Having Daniel look at him like that --he found it unpleasant and unsettling.

“Did I sleep too long?” he asked with worry, sitting up and squinting at the blaring, bright colors of the lush forest in broad daylight.

Daniel would have usually reached out to help him up if he was clearly struggling. His arms twitched like he almost intended to but then an icy sheen went over his face, making him appear even cooler. It was almost as if Seognwoo were looking at a completely different person. Yesterday he had also briefly seen a different person when he’d been a blind rage beating the shit out of the guard that had hurt him.

Why was Daniel so moody all of a sudden? What happened to his sunshine-smile, happy virus, Samoyed pup who always joked around with him?

Seongwoo attempted a weak smile, putting his hands together after he struggled up.

“Sorry. I must have been worn out. I’m ready to go right away. I won’t sleep in late again.”

“That’s not it. We’re not late. Everyone’s up earlier than I expected, in fact.”

Seongwoo was confused. “Then, why do you seem angry?”

“Do I? I’m not. Just a bit tired.”

“Ah…”

Seongwoo figured that it must be that Daniel was grumpy because he usually slept a lot more than the few hours they’d had.

Daniel abruptly got up, surprising Seongwoo yet again by not holding out a hand to help him get up. He curiously held out his hand, deciding to test if Daniel was angry at him or not. Daniel looked at his hand with a blank expression, his shoulders tense for a full minute before he reached out with a stiff expression.

Seongwoo felt relieved yet also suspicious of that. Helping him or touching him was not something Daniel had ever hesitated to do and that expression bothered him. It wasn’t a side that the other ever showed him, he was always usually kind and smiling and gazing at him with a sort of amused fondness.

Seongwoo frowned as after Daniel helped him up, he ripped his hand away as if Seongwoo were slime-covered trash, turning his back on him to get the bags.

“Daniel…Is there something wrong?”

“No. Everything’s fine,” he responded with a clip, no nonsense tone.

Maybe I’m being overly sensitive and he’s just got a lot on his mind and in a hurry, Seongwoo told himself. However, the strange feeling didn’t go away as they traveled down the trail either.

He found himself doing things that he wouldn’t usually do for the other, judging Daniel’s reaction to it. Usually if he did something even the least bit thoughtful, Daniel would smile wide and appear something like a pleasantly surprised puppy.

Seongwoo found himself doing little things for him, assisting him in mundane ways, and using any excuse to compliment and touch him. It didn’t have much of the desired affect which made him more curious to continue.

Just why was Daniel suddenly treating him coldly and pretending as if he weren’t affected by Seongwoo’s unusual amount of sweetness and affection?

Daniel went out of his way even to create a physical boundary between them, purposely taking wider, quicker steps or shifting a yard aside when he was near. He barely even looked at him and he repeatedly avoided eye contact Seongwoo noticed as he deliberately stared at his face when the group stopped to have a meeting.

It was not at all like the Daniel he was used to. Daniel looked at him more than the other way around and he often met Seongwoo’s eyes with confidence and intensity for so long that Seongwoo grew uncomfortable. That’s how things had always been, up until even last night.

What had changed? Was it something he said? Was Daniel distancing himself purposely because he recalled they would be living far apart in Korea? Did he not want to have friends from Incheon? Or was it that he hated keeping in touch through technology that much?

Whatever the reason, he didn’t like the way that Daniel was going about expressing his emotions and he wouldn’t let it keep happening. For some reason, he was dead-set against just letting Daniel put up icy walls in their friendship, even if it was for their own protection emotionally. Now or later.

They still had several days together at least and who knew what would happen after Korea. They could stay friends easily. They just needed to keep in touch. They weren’t living in different countries either, for goodness sake. It was funny to him how he was thinking positively while Daniel seemed to be thinking negatively.

He really wanted to sit Daniel down with a beer and have a heartfelt talk about this for the sake of their friendship that was suddenly at risk. However, he would have to wait until they were in the hotel. Daniel, that prideful, stubborn man, wasn’t going to have any sort of deep talk with Minhyun and Jaehwan around.

They were also acting odd since this morning. They kept smirking and snickering at the both of them, being oddly observant of the other’s interactions and unusual behavior.

Seongwoo wondered if they knew something that he didn’t, but he couldn’t afford to ask. He didn’t want to admit to them that him and Daniel were having issues because that would be admitting that there was possibly something going on between them. He didn’t like the idea of seeming wrong after all the times that he’d said to Minhyun especially that they were just friends and anything they felt was because of having to act and be sexual partners by force.

 

 

Daniel stopped at the edge of the forest leading to a two-lane, curvy high way with some brown buildings and grimy, thatched roofs in the distance.

“We’ve almost reached the hotel. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to take one more rest or not. The rest of the way is going to be with the sun glaring down on you.”

The couple strolling out of the clearing behind them bumped elbows and snickered as they observed Seongwoo jump excitedly on Daniel’s back, throwing his arms around his neck. Daniel’s face was like that of a person who’d seen a ghost in a horror movie. He’d stiffened and gone completely silent.

Seongwoo ignored his reaction, continuing on in a bubbly manner. “Is the hotel close? Where is it? Here? The sun’s pretty strong out here since it’s the middle of the afternoon. I’ll put lots of sunscreen on you so you don’t get burned.”

“N-no, you don’t have to. It’s alright if I get a little tan,” Daniel lowly muttered, prying Seongwoo’s hand off his chest.

Seongwoo pulled the bag off his back and then tugged on his arm to sit down. Daniel’s face flamed, appearing flustered at Seongwoo’s cute, childlike behavior as he whined.

“Sit down, sit down. You could get skin cancer that way. If you look too dark in Korea, people will make fun of you, asking if you’re Phillipino.”

“I don’t really care about that. We should go, right? You guys don’t seem tired.”

Seongwoo pouted, tugging more at his arm and then shooting a kitten look of plea at the others. “We’re all tired and aching. We need a water break and we should all put on suncscreen. Right, guys? Neh, neh?”

The couple sat down with mysterious, playful smiles.

Daniel rolled his eyes, reluctantly sat down while grumbling, “Bunch of weaklings to a tiny bit of aegyo.”

Seongwoo smiled brightly, looking adorably radiant in the sunshine and with the fact that he’d won over the others and earned a round-about compliment. Daniel couldn’t help but look at him from the side, ears heating, very conscious of where Seongwoo touched him.

He knew the truth though he was firmly attempting to deny it until it changed--he was the weakest to Seongwoo’s rare aegyo of them all. In fact, he felt irritated that other’s saw it when it was surely meant to be directed only at him.

What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with him? Here I am trying to remain friends and fight off my attraction while keeping a proper amount of distance and there he goes being impossibly attractive and incredibly clingy, making it more difficult than ever for some reason. Is he just messing with me? He wants us all wrapped around his fingers because he’s afraid of being alone and unloved, is that it?

Daniel pondered Seongwoo’s abrupt change in behavior and how he was to continue dealing with it when he inwardly liked it so much he was a giant ball of fluff as the cutie in question poured sunscreen on his hands.

“Look this way, Daniel. I need to see your full face.”

Daniel reluctantly shifted so they were face to face. His eyes shifted down as soon as he made the mistake of looking forward. Their eyes had met for the first time since last night and he regretted it instantly.

Why is it that after all we’ve done, something so simple can make my heart race like crazy? I shouldn’t have started to acknowledge my feelings. I should have just let them dormant and keep denying it, blaming it on whatever excuse I could come up with. As the day goes by and he acts sweeter, the harder they are to ignore.

It was quite possible that Daniel had a crush on Seongwoo, much more than he had realized before.

He bit his cheek, willing Seongwoo to have bad hearing so that he wouldn’t hear the organ pounding against his ribs. Seongwoo’s wet, warm, silky finger tips dotted his face. Heecame just a couple inches away with his pretty, sparkling eyes intensely on his face, his thin, pink, extremely kissable lips parted and his bitable, groomed eyebrows slightly furrowed in concentration.

“Can you not watch? It’s embarrassing,” Daniel growled, glaring at Minhyun and Jaehwan who were observing and giggling behind their hands.

“It’s just weird seeing you being cared for and Seongwoo actually caring for someone,” Minhyun admitted.

“You two look really domestic all day. You suit each other. Are you sure you’re just friends? Anyone looking at this would think--”

“Shut up!” Daniel snapped, glaring hard core at Jaehwan and cutting him off.

He looked back at Seongwoo, horrified at what he might see on Seongwoo’s face. Seongwoo was smiling shyly, his snowy skin splashed with pink. His smile widened as their eyes met, his growing warm like a spring day.

“What would they think? Why must they shut up?” he commented with a playful, teasing tone. “I wanted to know what he was going to say that’s so offensive I’m not allowed to hear.”

“I think Jaehwan was saying that we would seem like mother and son. I know how you don’t like to be stereotyped as feminine. Don’t worry. I’ll beat him up later for that and teach him a lesson,” Daniel lied in a low, sheepish tone, looking back down at Seongwoo’s chest covered with a denim jacket which he now worried wasn’t warm enough so he might have caught a cold traveling in that.

Seongwoo merely hummed with a slight smile, continuing his work on rubbing his silky fingers gently over Daniel’s flaming face. Luckily, he didn’t comment on it, so he might just think it was from a rising sunburn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
>  
> 
> Welcome to the first part of angst for this story. This chapter contains just a sip of it. The rest is in the next chapter, heaps of it really. Be prepared for that. I mean, it's not like they're disowning each other tho, so you won't need tissues. You just might 'hing' and sigh a lot.
> 
> So now that they are done with one reality they are sort of cruelly pushed into another reality. That is that Daniel and Seongwoo might be both Korean and they might be friends now but things will likely be different once they're in Korea since the cities they live in are far away from each other. Also, if you're in a bad experience and trying to recover from it, it's natural to cut out all stimuli. But they are a pretty big one, a huge reminder of all the ugliness they've been through and the repeated sins they were forced to commit to survive. Even if it was a sin they had moments where they really enjoyed.
> 
> This is one thing that makes their continued relationship very complicated. Though it doesn't have to stop them from being friends and keeping in touch at least for the first year or so. Daniel is just being a broody drama queen haha. At least you get to see through this that Ong is becoming more aware of how he feels and he's being forward with skinship and sweetness. Making Daniel really flustered and adorable since this is a whole different man he doesn't know how to deal with. Right when he's trying to control himself, Ong gets all loose and uncontrollable. Niel just can't cut a break haha. Distance and weening? Sorry bro, not happening.
> 
> Maybe you aren't looking forward to the next chapter now I've said it's angst and with how this one ended? But there's some good stuff there too, promise. Just go in knowing that Ongniel's relationship is quite complicated now that they recalled some very important facts they hadn't even thought about. They all thought things would be pretty much solved just getting out of there, that things would fall in to place. But nothing is ever that simple (and author-nim just likes making her babies suffer miserably lol). Just wait until they have to be in one room in one bed hehehe.
> 
>  
> 
> <3 Raina


	7. The Hide Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get really awkward when Ongniel have to stay in one room and sleep on one bed with nothing to do but talk and listen to the other pair getting it on in the room next door. Seongwoo finally has the chance to get Daniel to open up about why he's being so cold and distant--or at least he can attempt it more directly.

When the group reached the hotel, they collectively grimaced and shivered. It looked like it was haunted from hundreds of brutal murders. It was possibly the shadiest, most run down, uninhabitable looking hotel in existence. It was little more than a bunch of loosely connected two-story crooked shacks that appeared like it would fall apart any moment. That was why Guanlin had chosen it, however.

Guanlin, Daniel’s brother, had searched for the sort of place that others wouldn’t expect anyone to stay in as it looked like it wasn’t even in business (not any of the legal sort that was, though in this country hardly anything going on was). Guanlin also happened to have connections to the couple staff members there. They worked underground but they were not terrible guys, not in comparison to most of the Swing staff. They also owed Guanlin a favor for helping their kids with English and Korean since he could speak three languages, giving them a good advantage for getting into the college of their dreams with a large scholarship later.

These particular Chinese men were to be trusted, for the most part. Though Guanlin had told Daniel not to trust anyone, not even those he was traveling with or those Chinese people that Guanlin set up to help them get out of the country. Because people in this country would do anything for money, apparently. Daniel believed that, after all the messed up shit he’d seen the past four years.

It had taken a large fee that Guanlin was assisting with, but they were given rooms that were well-hidden and difficult to break into and promised that they wouldn’t be revealed. The staff had jobs for them so they could earn up some more money to pay for the fake ids they would be making for them which took three to five days at least. There was a cargo boat run by tradesman shipping pearls, herbs, and other Chinese products to Korea in a week.

They would meet Guanlin there disguised as his legally hired travel advisers and overseas business associates. Then, journey to Korea aboard the ship all together. They only needed those ids then they would able to make it safely across the Yellow Sea from the port city of Lianyungang. Once they were in Korea, it hardly mattered that they had no phones or official ids. Because they were citizens that had been taken illegally.

They of course would be welcomed and allowed to stay. They would go to the police with Guanlin and then things would be out of their hands from there. They’d get to go back to their families after questioning and probably have to appear on the news with an interview. Then they could lead peaceful, normal lives--or attempt to.

The only thing standing in the way of success was not getting caught before they met Guanlin in seven days. The real issue with that was that the hotel was not the sort that had any room service or restaurants. The rooms had a single dirty bathroom, an ancient box TV resting on the floor with five channels, one small closet and dresser with busted doors that appeared to have been taken from the dump, and a single mattress without a bed frame to sleep on. The pairs were to stay in the rooms two by two and take turns going on rounds each day for food when they weren’t doing odd jobs to earn cash for the ids, food, skin care and other necessities that they could get cheap if they looked carefully around the countryside town.

“We’re going right to bed. Don’t disturb us,” Minhyun told them with a wicked smile as he pulled a shyly smiling, giggly Jaehwan by the hand into their room.

They shut the door abruptly, the sound of a lock and further laughter faintly coming through the concrete. Daniel and Seongwoo shared an uncomfortable, slightly amused grin. Daniel then opened the door and gestured Seongwoo in like a gentleman.

“After you, princess. To your quarters.”

“Wow, it’s just peachy,” Seongwoo wandered in and twirled, pretending like he was in a five-star suite. "You really pulled all the stops for me."

The place was disgusting, a truly horrid sight. Daniel had seen better rooms in some shady brothels where the Korean abductees were drugged up so that they’d be complacent for their perverted visitors. It wasn’t much different than the bare minimums of a never-washed prison.

“Watch out for cockroaches. With this weather and the state of this wreck, there’s sure to be an infestation.”

“Maybe they at least take care of the bugs here,” Seongwoo gave him a sympathetic look as he set their bag on the single mattress with the scratchy ugly brown blanket.

Daniel grimaced and shivered.

“One would certainly hope. Otherwise I’m never getting sleep here.”

“We can get some beer later. That will help. You will only have to sleep here. The rest of the time we will be working or wandering the town and planning. We don’t have to stay in here.”

Daniel would be relieved if that were true. Judging, however, by the size of that mattress just resting bare on the floor, the nights were going to be the toughest. It wasn’t going to be a good idea to have his faulty judgement and wavering resolve murky with alcoholic influences. Not considering who he was sleeping in that tiny bed with.

“We should avoid being out as much as possible. If Swing is determined to find us, they’re going to send some guards here on a mission to recapture us. We bring them value and we are a risk because we will most certainly say what’s up and who’s behind it with their company. Then that couple will have a hard time getting around and the company and its property are at risk.

That’s my intention anyway, just after I give my poor Mom a bear hug and assure that I’m alive and I’m sorry for going to a club in another country when she told me to be careful and suspicious of everyone and never go with a Chinese person alone anywhere. I’m going to tear down Swing, make those Swing bastards cry, and bring as many of those poor Korean captives home as possible. Because what they do is just all sorts of fucked up, even for the mafia.”

“Yeah, they’re the most fucked up human beings in the world. They should pay for what they’ve done. Especially the innocent lives they’ve permanently scarred…”

Seongwoo’s expression darkened and his eyes turned glossy as his hand reached for his injured wrist. Daniel wanted to slap his mouth for not thinking properly. He had let his rage cause him to carelessly spurt out negative words that would trigger Seongwoo’s darker memories. It was already hard enough for him to get through his life day by day after what he’d been through and seen. He wasn’t as mentally sound as Daniel was, after all.

In a softer tone, the blonde said, “Sorry, hyung. Don’t think about any of that. Focus on the here and now or the future. Just a week more we’ve got to endure and be careful. Anyway, let’s not risk being seen as much as possible. I don’t want to kill but if I have to in order to ensure that you don’t get dragged back there, I will. I meant that, promise. Anything I’ve got to do. We’re getting out of this wretched country.”

Daniel allowed himself to touch Seongwoo for the first time all day. One simple, compassionate pat on the shoulder and brush down his arm to squeeze right above where he had the scars memorized.

Seongwoo looked up at him then as if he were coming out of a funk and attempted a smile that was beautiful yet incredibly sad, his hand shaking as it brushed back his hair. This showed how the thought of that place tore him up from inside out. Daniel could just faintly see a hint of two of the lined scars on his wrist as his shirt sleeve fell down with the move. A cold shiver ran down his spine as unpleasant images from his memories flashed red, like the color of the blood he’d once seen gushing out of delicate skin.

His hands balled up into fists partially out of anger at many things but mostly to control himself from giving the pathetic man trying to be strong when he was little more than glued together glass a hug.

What did Seongwoo ever do to deserve this horrid life he led now? Why couldn’t they simply take men like himself if they had to? Men who were more capable of handling the shit they saw and had done to them? Why of all people taken on that school trip was it Ong Seongwoo who had such a sensitive nature and artistic spirit with so much promise? Life was unfair and seriously shitty most of the time.

“I’m fine, Daniel. Don’t look at me like that. Like you said, I’ll think of the now and keep being positive and make sure to remain out of sight so as not to risk all we’ve accomplished. I don’t want to ruin it for any of us. I of course want out of here terribly too. I want to hug my family and tell them I love them and that I’m not a ghost, I’ve been alive and surviving all this time, holding on with the thought that I had to meet them again.

No matter how sad I might seem, I won’t do something stupid again not when we’re free and so close to being out of this horrid country. So you just be sure you don’t do something stupid either. You can beat someone chasing us to a pulp and knock them out. But don’t you dare kill them. Blood stains on your hands and your record won’t be good for you trying to have a new start. The regret alone, even if it was a scumbug like most of the Swing guards, will cripple you and you’ll never be able to sleep properly with the nightmares.”

Seongwoo had a point and his deep, thoughtful words affected him. Sometimes it was a wonder how mature Seongwoo was though he was just a year younger. It had to have been partially from his personality and naturally occurred from having seen a lot of shit over the years in captivity. It was a wonder that he remained such a gentle, sensitive soul that could write the most heartfelt, tear-jerking, beautiful poems and sing with such intense emotions and purity.

Daniel wondered what his insides would look like in comparison. He didn’t feel that he was nearly as good, kind, and forgiving as Seongwoo was, not down deep behind the facade of masculine strength, confidence, nonchalance and positivity he showed.

The two looked at each other with a complex play of contrary emotions running across their faces. Daniel eventually couldn’t stand it because of the way his hands twitched at the urge to hold Seongwoo and tell him that he was sorry for what he’d been through and didn’t deserve, to promise that things were going to be okay and he’d continue to be around to shield him, to tell him sweet nothings and silly jokes to get him to smile and laugh for all eternity. Seongwoo watched sadly as Daniel turned away from him with a serious face and tense shoulders, his hands looking like they might shatter with how hard he was clenching them.

“Beer sounds good about now. We should get food for everyone too. No one’s had a proper meal in days.”

“I’ll go with you.” Seongwoo went to grab his wallet from the back pack.

“No, don’t. Lock the door and get a proper rest. I can take care of this on my own. I’ll bring the gun with me just in case and you’ve seen that I can fight. I’m only going to get a bag full for tonight.”

Seongwoo hesitantly watched his friend’s tensed broad back. He felt unsettled by the clip, cool tone of voice and how incredibly abrasive Daniel was, as if he was holding himself back and having a hard time.

What was it that he wanted to do or say to him? Had he said the wrong thing earlier? He had been trying hard not to do anything that would further displease Daniel today but so far every attempt seemed to fail. He appeared even more upset and strangely distant than he had earlier in the day.

Seongwoo sat on the bed and sighed heavily.

“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, Daniel, or what I’ve done to piss you off so much. Go on out then. I hope that when you come back, you’ll be in a better mood. Or if not, at least a full stomach and some beer will help you be open with me again. I don’t like this you at all, Daniel. I prefer you honest with me, even if it’s something unpleasant you don’t want to tell me. Now that we're alone and in sheltered walls, I hope that you’ll be more yourself and have an honest talk with me. Like we usually did in my room in the facility.”

“Maybe we’ll talk. Or maybe not. It’s nothing much, nothing about you, seriously. Don’t worry about me being moody or different today and sleep. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

Daniel muttered this in a tight, guarded tone as he opened the door which he gripped hard enough that a weaker material might have snapped in two. Seongwoo watched him go with a worried, anxious look, gazing at the closed door long after he was gone with a feeling of helplessness and regret.

He didn’t feel that leaving the facility and finding freedom was the wrong choice possibly until that very moment. Seongwoo was not a person that was used to or comfortable with change. Especially the idea of not being as close to his friend and not being able to talk about anything that was on each other’s minds was incredibly unpleasant. They had gained freedom when they left the facility grounds, so why was it that he felt more frustrated and suffocated then back then?

 

 

Daniel sighed heavily as he stood in front of his and Seongwoo’s temporary room with a bag of instant rice, ramen cups, cheese slices, ham, and case of beer in his hand. He had been staring at the door, unable to open it for ten minutes already, risking the chance of being discovered and shot in the back. Somehow that seemed more pleasant than facing Seongwoo again and having to spend a night alone together as free men.

This was going to be so much more difficult than he thought it would be, now that they had no boundaries to fit into and act within. They’d always had sex when they were in a room together. Usually within ten minutes of him coming into the room. That was their routine. His mind knew that wasn’t going to happen but his body responded to the routine. He had grown hard and excited as his mind went through naughty images and plans of what he’d do with the slim brunette when he got inside. His mind went instinctively deep into the act, into the character that was excited to see the man he was crazy for after weeks of being away.

Daniel was ashamed of this and he was also scared to go inside. Seongwoo wanted to have a talk and he was likely going to grill him about his sudden shift in behavior and all the cold shoulders he’d been giving for no particular reason. All Seongwoo knew was that Daniel had acted completely different after he was reminded that Seongwoo lived in Incheon.

As far as he figured, Seongwoo might think he had something against people in Incheon or that he hated the idea of a long-distance friendship and keeping in touch through phones. He had no idea how to explain his rationality for sudden coldness because he couldn’t just blurt out about his feelings.

Daniel took a deep breath and stole himself for whatever would happen since it was risking all their lives for him to keep standing on the porch. When he went inside, his problem most unfortunately worsened.

Seongwoo was like a statue but so much more attractive and full of life--he was resting against the wall in Daniel's black Adidas trainers and a black shirt much too big for him with his bare feet crossed, collar exposed to his chest mole, reading a book. Daniel froze inside, swallowing hard as his eyes scanned him from top to bottom. Everything about Seongwoo was sexy and sensual in that moment. His long, cute bare feet, his slender, shapely legs that went on for days, his pretty, elegant hands, his sharp jawline and snowy, long neck, even his ears that were begging to be chewed on.

If this had been back at the facility, Daniel would have pounced on him within thirty seconds tops. However, as soon as they left the facility, they had also left their way of life. He had no excuse and no right to so much as touch a toe in an inappropriate way without Seongwoo’s permission. No, even if Seongwoo wanted him too, he shouldn’t because that would mean something now and it would complicate their relationship which was messy enough as is. He didn’t want to hurt Seongwoo and thus he needed to keep his distance and remain unaffected—even if it felt like he would die trying to resist his urges.

Daniel cleared his throat and shut the door, forcing a smile on his face and hiding his boner with the plastic bag.

“What are you reading?”

Seongwoo didn’t look up from the book nor smile. He merely remained coolly expressionless as he turned the page. Daniel wanted to smack himself. He had made Seongwoo upset, that was the only reason he’d act like this, putting an icy wall between them reminiscent of how he first was. It was an attempt to show Daniel that he was serious about what he said earlier. He wanted to have a talk about why Daniel was acting differently and he refused to act kindly until then.

“Just a fantasy. Nothing you would find interesting.”

“Hey, it’s not like I never read. I just happen to prefer comics to novels. You like comics too. I’ve seen magazines in your place.”

“I prefer novels though. Since I’m a mature adult with a decent attention span. I don’t need pictures and sound effects to keep me interested. I have a top-class imagination.”

Daniel swallowed back a frustrated sigh as the slight jabs kept coming. He deserved that. He sat down on the bed, some distance from Seongwoo’s tempting legs he recalled just how it felt to have wrapped around him or in his palms. Biting his lip as he swore not to think of anything naughty anymore, he pulled the things out of the bag.

“Well, I’m sure all that imagining, and reading has you starved. I’ll get our meal ready. Why don’t you get Minhyun and Jaehwan?” he suggested with a detached yet slightly warmer tone than earlier.

Seongwoo noticed and responded well to that, or it could have been the sight of ramen, ham, and cheese which he happened to like a lot. He put the book down, scooting closer and reaching out to help. As they took out the groceries and Daniel brought over the hot plate and a jug of tap water, Seongwoo kept him curious with a faint, amused smile.

“They just fell asleep a bit ago. They’re exhausted, I bet. Let’s leave them alone for a few hours.”

Daniel smirked as he poured water in the cup of dry noodles. Seongwoo peeled the plastic off the ham and  cheese slices and started shredding them.

“What were they doing all this time?”

Seongwoo scoffed and snickered. “Having sex, the noisy kind.”

Daniel showed genuine shock because how did they even have the energy and the audacity, right in front of Seongwoo’s salad. “You were stuck here listening to that? I’m sorry I didn’t think the walls would be so thin. You must not have had any rest. You should have just come with me then.”

A pointy chin stabbed the air and the whole atmosphere around the elder turned chilly. “I was going to. You insisted I stay here and you wanted to be alone. Remember? You’ve been a prickly cactus all day.”

Daniel avoided Seongwoo’s accusing glare. He flushed, his shaky hands fumbling with the lids and chopsticks he needed to put over it.

He muttered, heart thumping like an elephant’s stomping foot, “Ah, right. Sorry about that. I was just...stressed out.”

Seongwoo instantly softened, seeming concerned. “Are you sure? I mean, everyone gets stressed out. But I never knew you to deal with it that way.”

“I usually do. I like to deal with negative emotions like that on my own. You’ve just never seen me really stressed is all,” Daniel insisted.

Seongwoo helped him with righting the chopsticks on top of the lid because apparently he couldn’t lie, control his face, and do that at the same time. He cursed how he was no good at multi-tasking. Their fingertips brushed over the edge of a pair, sending tingles through their spine.

“What do we do now?” The awkwardness between them had never been thicker, somehow the air seeming a mix of chilly and heated like a storm was brewing.

“We drink beer as we wait.”

“Tsingtao?”

“But of course. It’s the king of beers.”

Seongwoo attempted to open the spikey metal cap with his shirt sleeve, cutely straining his face and groaning. That sound reminded Daniel of times he couldn’t afford to recall for long so he quickly took it from him and opened it with his bare hands in an impressive show of strength. He shouldn’t have. He’d forgotten that Seongwoo got turned on by that sort of masculine display of power. His eyes darkened and he bit down on his lip as he took it with a husky murmur.

“Thanks, but I had that.”

Daniel smiled crookedly, a low chuckle coming to his throat. “Sure you did. Wimp.”

“I did though. Show-offy jerk.” Seongwoo slipped back, putting the book over his lap probably to disguise his boner.

Daniel rolled up his knees to his chest, playing with his feet, doing the same. They avoided eye contact and remained silent for awhile, the atmosphere growing more heated. Seongwoo sipped slowly on the beer as he read. Daniel chugged two beers while waiting for the water to boil in the cups resting on the hot plate, trying to quench his ticklish, parched throat. All this built-up sexual tension that had no outlet was making him thirsty.

Seongwoo asked abruptly some time later, “Did the walk help you?”

“Yeah, it did. Feeding the monster in my stomach will surely help even more.”

“Good.”

Awkward silence followed. Their small, forced smiles fell again. Daniel felt hot as he kept raking over Seongwoo’s bare skin out the corner of his eyes, wishing terribly that he was snacking on those tasty morsels. It was driving him nuts, the idea that he’d never get to have Seongwoo like that again while he’d be there right at the tips of his fingers, so very tempting. He should have thought about that beforehand and really cherished their last time. He could have shown him a much better time but he’d been preoccupied for once with something else--the escape that would happen right after.

“I thought this place would be cold but it’s actually pretty stuffy.”

Daniel discarded his hoodie and jacket. Seongwoo looked up from his book to secretly watch, chewing on his lip and clutching the sharp corner as his shirt slipped up his muscular back. Daniel was dressed in a striped shirt that had a large cut in it which revealed a good portion of his shoulder and collar. Seongwoo found himself staring there and licking hungrily, swallowing thick amounts of saliva as Daniel checked the state of the noodles in the bubbling red sauce. He seemed unaware of Seongwoo’s lustful gaze.

“It’s ready. They haven’t gotten swollen yet.”

Seongwoo wasn’t in any rush to eat. It wasn’t that he wasn’t hungry but merely that he ended up distracted by a show like food porn. Daniel attacked the noodles, stuffing and slurping them ruthlessly in his big mouth, sauce decorating his plush lips which he licked heartily.

“Hmm, fuck, that’s the spot. Really good.”

Seongwoo flushed, pressing the book hard on his stiffened cock. Each time that Daniel moaned and slurped, he thought of naughty things they’d done together and how he’d sounded similar then. It turned his body into molten lava.

Daniel caught him chewing furiously on his lip while slurping the last of the squiggly, pale yellow noodles.

“You haven’t started yet? Oh, no. The noodles probably got all swollen.”

“It’s okay. I like them that way. I was waiting on purpose,” the elder lied, barely able to keep himself from sounding rushed and stuttering.

The younger shrugged, stuffing his round cheeks with a few lone pieces of dripping ham. “Suit yourself.”

Seongwoo eventually got to the noodles, which meant it was time for Daniel to be tortured. Each slurp through those delicate pursed lips, each hearty gulp, each bob of the prominent adams apple was sheer torture.

He found himself chugging through another beer in minutes. That didn’t cool him down nearly enough to be in the clear. He was tempted to walk out for more air but he was worried how Seongwoo might see that. He wanted to try to maintain distance while still being friends and not having Seongwoo be upset with him this time. Leaving the room again would be obvious and it would complicate their issue further, seeing as they’d still yet to have a serious talk.

Skinship though, he was going to try and put a firm stop to that if Seongwoo started initiating it again. Luckily, Seongwoo seemed satisfied with the data he’d gained from his previous experiments. Besides the accidental brush earlier he had not acted any different than normal. Then again, who knows what would be happening when they had to sleep on this tiny mattress and it got colder as the night approached. The idea of Seongwoo brushing up or snuggling to his warmth was stress-inducing.

He decided to distract himself further by cleaning up. Seongwoo moved to help him but Daniel insisted he finish up and eat slowly so he wouldn’t get indigestion which was known to happen to the delicate flower. It was easy for Seongwoo to get sick or hurt in various ways. One of the reasons that Daniel found himself so prone over the last year to wish to protect and care for him since he couldn’t seem to properly do it himself.

He needed to stop that or at least so much, Daniel realized. It would make his feelings more obvious which he couldn’t have. It would also put Seongwoo at risk of falling for him which he also couldn’t have but terribly wanted despite the consequences it would bring once they docked in Korea. He hadhto tell himself: Just let him be, do your own thing, exist like normal friendly roommates, don’t think at all about how cute or sexy he is, and most definitely scrap all past intimate images from your mind, or there’s no way we’ll be able to sleep this entire week.

After they were cleaned up, they returned to sitting on the bed, leaning up against the wall. Daniel flipped through the five channels on the ancient box-style TV between commercials, only understanding about half from his remedial Chinese lessons with his younger brother ages ago. He could understand and speak some, but he couldn’t write or read many Chinese characters which was why he’d had to ask for assistance from Guanlin despite he didn’t want him involved in anything dangerous or criminal that might dirty his reputation. Luckily, Guanlin was a freaking genius and extremely well connected so it turns out he’d had very little to worry about.

Seongwoo remained indifferent as he continued to read his novel, the only movement being his hand when he turned the page and occasional wiggling of his cute, spindly toes. That Daniel knew were very fun to suck on because he was sensitive and ticklish. The sounds of mixed laughter and moans had been incredibly affective at turning him on. And--Fuck. He’d done it again. Popped a boner around his friend while they were just chilling.

“Another beer? At this rate, there won’t even be one for the couple to share. You sure do like that stuff,” Seongwoo looked up with a teasing, sexy grin.

Daniel looked at his handsome face directly through dark, hooded eyes as he chugged half the bottle. Seongwoo’s eyes widened and he bit his lower lip--a sign that he thought Daniel looked sexy right then and the want was coming back. It was weird to both of them how they wanted each other just as intensely when they weren’t required to and how terrible they were at hiding it.

Either it was a force of habit or they’d been unusually attracted to each other this whole time and thought it was just the acting. They should not have had any dirty thoughts now they were free men. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. It was infuriating, unsettling, and getting in the way of them having a normal friendship let alone being able to get proper sleep.

“I really need it tonight somehow. You can take the last one if you want.”

Seongwoo rapidly turned his head away, his face a grapefruit shade all over. He cleared his throat as he tucked the cap under his shirt to twist it on his own. “Yeah, I think I will.”

 

 

The pair finished off their beers and remained in that suffocating, charged, dreadfully uncomfortable silence. Seongwoo wanted to talk but he was still worried that Daniel would shut him out. Daniel wanted to talk but he didn't know what to say and didn't want to disturb his reading since he seemed extremely fascinated by that book.

Seongwoo commented in a rather gloomy tone, "Sorry that I didn't bring anything for us to do. If I was stronger and knew we'd be stuck several hours with nothing to do to kill time, I would have packed comics and board or card games."

Daniel nodded in understanding, attempting to smile to lighten up their mood. "It's a shame you had to leave your guitar behind. You could continue teaching me. Even if it’s just that one song you can do so far."

"True. That would not have made it through the tunnel." Seongwoo giggled and brushed his twitching button nose as he imagined escaping with the guitar.

"Ah, right. Well, I have this."

Daniel took out the burner phone he used to keep in touch with Guanlin the last few months. Even Seongwoo hadn't known about it. His eyes widened.

"Oh, nice! You have a phone? How did you get it? Wow, it's been so long since I've seen one."

For obvious reasons, prisoners were not allowed to have phones, merely tablets or laptops that were heavily monitored and most everything blocked if there was even internet access.

"It's an old model, nothing special. My brother bought it used and put a VPN in it and various other gadgets. He snuck it in a few months ago through Daehwi. They're close classmates that go way back, I guess."

"Wah, I wish I had met this Daehwi. He's amazing. He knows everyone and everything. He's totally a king."

"Right? He's only eighteen years old too."

"Ah, same age as your brother and one year younger than mine. I wonder if they'd all be friends."

"Sure they would be. I can't download much because the storage space is limited but there are a few games. Wanna play?"

"Ah, hmm, phone games, that's a bit..." Seongwoo turned crestfallen.

Daniel figured it must be because he was only good at board games. Since he was clumsy and had a hard time understanding complex rules, he wasn't good at any sort of digital games.

He assured, anxious to play because they seriously needed a distraction before they died from awkwardness, "They're easy. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried. No matter how easy or nicely you try to teach me, I'll still suck. In comparison to Jihoon, that is."

"Jihoon? Why bring him up all of a sudden?" Daniel cocked his head and raised his caterpillar brows.

Seongwoo shrugged, shyly fidgeting with his fingers, his ear tips tinting scarlet. He looked just like Eeyore right then. Daniel was tempted to take his hand in his to get him to calm and fix his wayward, negative thoughts.

"You should have asked Jihoon instead of me. He's stronger, more fit, braver and good at all kinds of games. He would have been a better choice. You guys were close buddies too…"

Daniel was tempted to shower Seongwoo in compliments—followed by light, smacking kisses--to assure him he was by far the better choice. Instead, he tried to answer in a different way that wouldn't create more awkwardness between them. It was nice having him close and talkative, even if it was for the moment. It was much more like how they normally were and he felt like his libido had cooled and been able to breathe considerably.

"Jihoon wouldn't have gone even if I asked. He was with Woojin. They have their own plans."

"Neh? Jihoon and Woojin?" He appeared genuinely shocked, large eyes bugging out like the full moon but the sparkle outshining even that.

Daniel laughed behind his hand. "You must not have been close to Woojin at all."

"Hmm. Yeah, I guess we didn't really click. He's a nice kid but so much younger than me."

"Mentally especially, I imagine."

"Exactly. He was always pretty quiet around me. Even during our sessions. He slept really well, I remember that."

"Well, now you know why. He was up all night dating Jihoon and screwing off camera and planning their escape."

"Ah, I see. now I feel left out AND used." Seongwoo crossed his arms and pouted, looking several years younger and the definition of adorable.

Daniel smirked while joking, "That's alright. I made Jisung feel that way. I spent most of the night sleeping at his room after you had me up chatting all night."

Seongwoo wrinkled his nose and looked as if he were on the verge of slapping the other’s leg. "Hey, don't make it sound like I'm some annoying brat that forced you. I told you to sleep several times a night and you just found something else to talk about."

"What can I say? You're the funnest guy there. That's the real reason I brought you. I like having someone to talk our ears off with about anything random."

So why have you avoided me once we got out of danger, the words were on the tip of Seongwoo's tongue. Daniel sensed his hesitation and guessed the direction of his thoughts. Before he could bring that uncomfortable topic up he wanted to avoid, Daniel offered a way to make up for it, after clearing his throat.

"Choose what game looks interesting. I'll teach you how."

Seongwoo hummed and tapped his pointed chin just over the sexy cleft. "This one maybe. Since we can listen to music at the same time."

"Good choice. This has couple mode and battle mode. So we can play together or against each other. What would you pre--"

"Couple! Let's be a couple!" Seongwoo blurted out while Daniel was in the middle of his question.

They stared at each other with wide eyes, their faces heating up.

"Er, I mean. Let's play on couple mode."

"Sure, if that's what you want. You need to sit across from me and hold the middle part of the phone."

Daniel—face heated and boner back on top of a racing heart--held the sides as he started the tutorial for couple mode. The game was simple. They had to hit the colored piano keys that slid by. Daniel was in charge of the pink and blue which were harder to hit on the right timing while Seongwoo he left in charge of the yellow and green keys that came up slower and less frequently.

To his delight, Seongwoo didn't fully suck at it since he was musically gifted so he didn't instantly hate it. The more songs they got high scores on and passed successfully, the happier he became. Daniel enjoyed the fact that he was blessed to see the pretty angel smile and hear his amazing, sweet voice as he sang the parts he knew. He didn't, however, appreciate the affect their continued proximity Seongwoo being into the game would have.

He pressed their heads close, their fingers brushed often around the phone until they just ended up linked and tangled underneath, and their knees, legs, and feet were touching fully. Even an innocent touch like this had an intense effect on Daniel and distracted him. They ended up failing because Daniel was trying to adjust his painful boner subtly.

Seongwoo was distraught. "I was on a roll! Why did you fail? At least let me see the score. Just how many did you get wrong?"

"No, I don't want you to see. It's embarrassing."

It would hurt Daniel's pride if Seongwoo saw how much he'd epically failed on top of that he got turned on so easily. He was used to being great at games and had even bragged about how he often beat Jihoon. It was only the third time ever playing a digital game with Seongwoo and he didn't want to be humiliated ever in front of his crush.

"Daniel, for fuck’s sake, let me see it! Don't be such a wimp."

"No! I won't let you see it. Over my dead body."

"Fine then, you asked for it. I’ll just kill you if I have to then. I want to see that score chart."

They laughed as they struggled to steal the phone from each other's fingers, leaning more and more in one direction. Suddenly, they toppled over. Daniel was lying on his back with the phone up over his head. Seongwoo was holding his arms in an attempt to drag the phone down. When he lost his balance, he landed fully on top of Daniel, resting between his bent, spready legs.

The result was they were in an extremely intimate, familiar position with their flushed, surprised faces mere centimeters away. They laid there for a long moment, trying to catch their breath and blinking, both scared to move but knowing they should even if the shifting caused one or the other to grow turned on. Seongwoo nervously bit his lip, squeezing his fingers on Daniel's arms. Daniel looked there and swallowed back a moan.

Seongwoo's blinking, glances down, and resulting deeper flush told him that he noticed Daniel's hard on poking his hip. He jumped off then luckily with little pressure. Daniel was able to hold his moan in from the slight friction over his sensitive area.

"Um, I'm going to go get the other two. They still didn't eat."

Daniel sat up, grabbing his discarded hoodie and stuffing it in his lap while using the act of pocketing the phone as an excuse.

He tried to sound as normal as possible but his breath was certainly uneven. "Good idea. They've slept enough and should really eat. Otherwise they'll get sick."

Seongwoo hurriedly left the room and then came back a minute later, rolling his eyes. "They're fine, I guess. Far from getting sick."

Daniel frowned, not understanding fully.

"You talked to them so fast? Or not at all? Why won't they leave each other for five minutes even to--"

"Ah, Jaenie. Like that, ah~"

"Minhyunnie hyung, keep going, ugh..."

Daniel paused, blinking rapidly, wondering if he was hearing things. Seongwoo’s hand popped over his mouth as he giggled, glancing at the wall. Daniel kept listening with a hand over his own mouth and ear towards the wall, unable to help snickering. They both fell silent and grew shy as they listened in to the very clear broadcast of their friends having sex. They were quite vocal, enthusiastic and clearly infatuated and intensely attracted to each other.

"Are they...?"

Seongwoo nodded and giggled some more. Daniel covered his ears with a look of horror.

"Oh my God. Too much information."

"It was worse earlier. You have no idea what you missed out on."

Seongwoo sat next to him, appearing incredibly amused and even more beautiful than ever with that virgin like flush and shy grin.

"Was it? You poor soul."

Seongwoo smiled softly, his pretty eyes taking on a wistful, hazy look. "It's not that bad to listen to. I've never heard the sounds of genuine sex or so I thought before you told me about Woojin and Jihoon. I thought earlier, ‘ah, so that's what sex from love sounds like, it's pretty nice.’ Even made me tear up."

Daniel ruffled his hair before he could stop himself, leaving his hand tingling and Seongwoo smiling brighter with his nose scrunched.

"Such a sensitive guy you are. Why would you cry about erotica?"

Seongwoo shrugged, turning slightly melancholy—a look that he wore well and often. "I was just wondering if I'd ever have that. You know, genuine romance and making love. It looks so wonderful in movies and books. But I don't know if I'm capable of that. After all, I've only had one kind of relationship. Maybe it's too late for me and I'm scared."

Daniel retorted with confidence, "I'm sure you're not. You are plenty capable of love and you're going to find someone wonderful. Your romance will be better than all those movies you ever watched."

"You think so?" Seongwoo asked with a hopeful tone and sparkling eyes.

"I know so. Because you're such a lovable person."

Seongwoo looked down with a shy smile, fidgeting with his sweater paws. "I am? What part of me?" he asked a moment later.

"You are. Every part of you. I could look up a hundred positive words in the dictionary and see your face there. I know there will be people fighting for you all over Korea--a total war of fanboys and fangirls willing to sacrifice their cats to date you."

Seongwoo giggled more and more with each cheesy thing he had to say, slapping his arm and snorting cutely at the last part.

"Stop, that's an awful thought and such a huge exaggeration. You're worse than Jisung!"

Daniel’s crooked, dimpled smile appeared, distracting the other. "I'm not though because it's the truth. Wanna make a bet?"

"Shall we? About who can find someone faster? I bet it's you."

Daniel hummed, looking up as he tapped his neck. "Me? Hmm. Dating, I can't really picture it."

To tell the truth, he couldn't picture dating anyone but Seongwoo. Before that, he'd never thought of it because he's never liked someone as more than a friend beyond mild attraction. Seongwoo was the first to inspire intense feelings including physical attraction and wanting to be together for hours alone or a strong desire to protect and keep someone from suicidal thoughts.

For some reason, Seongwoo turned into an enthusiastic salesman with lots of flamboyant gestures.

"I can so picture it. You'd be a Casanova with girls and guys fighting all over you. Like a king or a good. God Daniel. You would have that nickname. You would be dating a hundred people at a time and no one would care because you're worth it."

Daniel grimaced, not liking the sound of that. Was that really how Seongwoo saw him being like? 

"How could anyone be worth sharing? A total jerk who cheats and can't choose one person. Hardly sounds like me. Not that I have any idea how I would be, since I never got the chance to date. I wasn't all that popular until I started dancing and my shoulders got bigger from working out."

"I'm positive you would be popular. You're sexy, funny, bright, positive, cute, and childish at times."

With each compliment which was so rare from Seongwoo, he found himself getting redder, bashful, and his heart pounding more and more. He didn't stop Seongwoo though. He was on a roll and it made him happier than he'd likely ever been--he couldn't remember the past so well before he'd come here.

"Wow, seems we started a new game. A compliment one."

"I didn't mind that."

"Me neither. I have more. Shall we go on?"

"As nice as that sounds, we should try to get some zzs. It's late."

"I guess we should. We've got jobs tomorrow and outings."

"Right. You go wash up first while I change. Then we will switch."

Daniel recalled how Seongwoo disliked showing his body or bathroom routine when he wasn't putting on a performance. Seongwoo smiled softly, appreciating his memory and kind gesture.

"See? On top of all those other things, you're just the nicest, most considerate guy. I haven't met anyone from Korea like you. You're not even affected by the service industry."

"Same goes to you."

"Me, nice and considerate? I don't know about that. Maybe you've seen me wrongly."

Seongwoo laughed as he got up. Daniel got up from the bed as well, gripping his wrist to stop him from going forward on that note. Seongwoo looked down and up at him with a complex expression, waiting for an explanation.

Daniel smiled warmly. "Yes, you are just like that. More than anyone knows. Because you try to hide it and be stronger. You risked your life for me already once when you pushed me. You could have just let me get shot and run for your life. That was very nice of you. Not the least bit selfish."

Seongwoo looked away, scratching his hair and muttering shyly, "That was...just reflex. Protective instinct for a friend who I'm grateful to. Who I owe a lot to. For..lots of things."

"Whatever you think it was, I'm going to think of it my way, hyung. That you're not at all the cool, indifferent ice prince that you act like. I think I know of the real you. I've seen it several times."

Seongwoo saved his searing, tingling arm, grumbling bashfully, "Think what you want, whatever. Arguing with your stubborn ass is always a waste of my breath. I’m too old for this."

Daniel clutched his stomach as he burst out laughing. He watched Seongwoo's pert, shapely bottom swaying sassily into the bathroom.

He wiped a tear from his eye, murmering to himself, "Ah, he's so likeable. How to possibly stop, I’m probably already doomed."

 

 

The couple next door continued making love passionately, voices resounding clearly through the walls as if they had no care or concern someone might be able to hear all throughout them getting ready and even when they were in bed. The friends laid with their backs to each other, talking about any topic they had in mind because silence meant they would hear the couple and become awkward and conscious again. It was difficult to stop their thoughts from going down a dirty track with the body slapping, slurping, and moans coming from the room next to them. Eventually, they ran out of topics and the faint sounds we're drowned out. They closed their eyes to try and sleep, though it failed to come immediately.

"Why are you so big?" Seongwoo complained in a whiney frustrated tone.

Daniel laughed and teased him by squishing him even further into the wall.

"Yah, you brat!! Hurry up and shrink. I'm going to get suffocated before we leave this place. It's just out of the frying pan and into the fire. Scoot over!"

Daniel had a good laugh, rubbing his back and butt against the other some more, thoroughly enjoying his whining. It made him feel like they were best friends camping out with their parents in another tent.

The thought of sex kept Daniel awake but Seongwoo seemed more used to it and able to block it out, unless he was just more tired. He fell asleep in the midst of answering a question.

Daniel sat up to watch him sleep for awhile after checking if he was really asleep and giving him more of the blankets. He still looked the sweetest when he was asleep. All serene with his hands used as a pillow, curled up in a small ball, breathing softly through parted thin lips.

Daniel adjusted his blanket and allowed two pats on his shoulder and one stroke of his silky damp hair. Then, he laid down to try to sleep as well.

He heard the finishing parts of their friends’ session faintly and couldn't help but feel turned on. He decided he would go to the bathroom to relieve it since he wouldn't likely be able to sleep with how bad it was, not after it had been off and on for hours now. He had regularly lived with coming more than once a day. It was going to take his body some time to adjust after suddenly going cold turkey.

He pulled down his trainers and leaned on the wall in the bathroom and closed his eyes as he stroked himself, imagining it was Seongwoo as he'd done a hundred times at least. When he was close, he opened his eyes to decide where to aim. That's when he saw a bug in the corner. He squealed, fleeing out of the bathroom and shutting the door in a panic. He was not going to be able to go in there until Seongwoo woke up and killed it for him in the morning, he knew.

After calming down, he moved to the far corner and continued as he was in the bathroom. Though he couldn't stay hard because of the coldness. He had no choice but to continue in the warm bed some minutes later.

Luckily, Seongwoo didn't stir or turn over as he pumped himself as quiet and motionless in the bed as he could. He bit the pillow so he could moan into it, bursting into his hand with a massive amount while picturing Seongwoo riding him with that gorgeous face full of pleasure. Once he finished, he cleaned up with a towel rag that was of suspicious sanitary conditions but that was better than taking chances with the bathroom monster.

Then, he hid under the blankets, trying to control his breathing and dying slowly of embarrassment.

To think he had masturbated with the one he fantasized about in the same bed. That was a whole new sort of low and crazy. He wanted to blame it all on the other couple but it hadn't appeared to affect Seongwoo quite as much until he'd done it. What did that mean?

"Hmm, Daniel? Where are you? I'm cold."

Daniel froze as Seongwoo sleep talked and then rolled over, snuggling close like he sometimes had seen before. It was Seongwoo’s habit he'd been afraid of.

Daniel remained still on his side. Still, Seongwoo hugged his waist and stuffed a leg through his, squeezing and nuzzling the back of his neck. Daniel shivered, succumbing to the pleasant feeling by scooting back more against the elder's warm, lithe body.

Seongwoo hummed happily, nuzzling his neck some more. "Thank you. I'm not cold anymore. Except...I'm starting to feel a bit hot and bothered.”

“N-neh? Seongwoo, what are you--”

“Hmm, Daniel. I like it when you touch me like that. Keep going…"

"Shit," Daniel cursed, feeling alarmed.

Seongwoo was humping his back side and nibbling at his neck. He needed to either wake him up or get far away while he had his dirty dream. It would be wrong to witness it first hand like that.

Daniel gently rolled Seongwoo on to his back. It didn't go the way he planned though, as Seongwoo held his hand and brought it to the center of his trainers.

"Please Niel. Make me come. It hurts," the brunette whined as he rocked into Daniel's palm, incredibly stiff and ready.

Daniel had no choice but to let him pin his hand there and rub against it lest he fight him and wake him up. He was still asleep, judging by the way his eyes were still fully closed. He shook his head and moaned, pushing up into his hand with an iron grip on Daniel's wrist. If he tried to pull it off or put less pressure, Seongwoo would squeeze and yank down.

The blonde told himself he had no choice. He didn't want to displease or wake him up. It wasn't necessary for him to whisper sweet words and suck on his ear at the same time, that was true, but he did. It wasn't necessary to oblige the elder with sex mimickry when he presented his back-side and begged for Daniel to enter him. Yet he did. 

Seongwoo seemed to like that considerably as he grew more excited. His moans weere much softer and sweeter than those when they performed as if he were holding them back and embarrassed or likely because their intimacy wasn't as intense as normal.

Then, he started whining, his face cutely disgruntled. "Stop teasing, Niel. More, much more."

Daniel stuffed a laugh into the creamy nape of his neck. He wished he could give much more but he wouldn't take advantage of his crush like this. Things were complicated enough already. If they attempted much more, Seongwoo would wake up from his dirty dream and likely hate and lose trust in him. Who had sex with a sleeping man anyway?

He sniffed and kissed his neck, nibbling the tasty flesh as he debated what to do. Seongwoo again took care of that for him. He pushed his hand to his tummy and pulled down the edge of his pants. Daniel gave him just a small taste of what he wanted, slipping his fingers in the space, lightly brushing the smooth tip.

"Yes~ Lower..." Seongwoo hissed, pushing on his wrist and wiggling, his pretty face flushed and blissful.

"Ugh, what to do with this brat. So cute..." Daniel nuzzled his neck and smiled wide.

Then, he sucked a sensitive spot as he slid his hand lower, watching and listening to the elder's reactions. As soon as his hand slipped around the silky hard shaft, a choked, excited moan slipped through his rumbling throat.

"Thank God. Move, please."

Daniel did as was instructed by the sleeping, horny man enjoying pulling him back against his body, partially embracing him, and nibbling on his skin, especially his succulent adorable ears. After he came in his boxers, Daniel righted his clothes with care, tucked him back in warmly, and kissed his forehead.

"Sleep now, naughty boy. Hopefully you think it was all a wet dream tomorrow or I'm surely dead meat."

 

 

He was just on the cusp of sleep, back to laying on his side, facing the other wall, when Seongwoo shifted his way yet again. "Daniel..."

Seongwoo called his name with a raspy, drowsy slurred tone. Oh god, what now…

"Yes, hyung?"

He merely groaned and shifted some more. Daniel went back to relaxing with his eyes closed, figuring it was Seongwoo sleep talking as he dreamed of him again.

A minute or so later, he was surprised but mostly pleasantly so. Seongwoo tossed an arm around him, snuggling into his back. It was innocent this time but Daniel was paranoid it would not stay that way. Daniel went to take his hand off until something Seongwoo muttered made him pause.

"Niellie…Are you really not mad at me? If I did something wrong, just let me know. Even if I crossed a line. I don't like seeing you upset. We're friends and I want to stay that way, at least. So please don't act that way anymore..."

Daniel sighed heavily, stroking his hand which was firmly pressing into him to prevent being removed this time. His heart felt weird like it stung but it was also tingly and very warm. He had no idea how to describe this feeling.

"Sorry. I won't be like that anymore. I didn't know you would be this worried about it. It was just a stupid idea I had. I promise it was temporary, just that one time."

He was sure he was talking to himself but just in case Seongwoo was awake, he hoped he heard it. And he also meant it, so he was telling himself not to try to force a thicker line between them as well. He was a big boy. He could keep being friends with Seongwoo, even flirt, joke around, and touch him here and there while still keeping his feelings in check. Seongwoo didn't need to find out and he didn’t need to act immature. As long as Seongwoo didn't fall for him and confess before they docked, then things would be alright.

He doesn't like you. It's just that he's a lonely guy with a lot of affection to give and few friends he feels comfortable to give it to. He probably cuddles with Minhyun too. You might not like that, but it's time to accept it. We’re friends and I’m cool with things staying that way.

Daniel linked their fingers together and pulled his arm more firmly around his waist. Seongwoo sighed with contentment and snuggled closer.

"Hmm, so warm..."

Daniel nodded in agreement. It wasn't just his back that felt warm but also his entire chest was warm and tingly. With the feeling of swelling, freely growing affection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a whole lot of nothing with plot yet a whole lot of something under the surface happening with this chapter. Maybe you are shocked because you were alll prepped for heavy angst but really it's more filled with cute awkwardness, thick tension you can cut with a knife, and some hotness (that Ong doesn't even know happened lol, talk about your intense wet dream).
> 
> I guess you can get a good look at just how difficult rooming together will be and why. I got the idea for this chapter from Ongniel's story about when they slept on a mattress and drank and stayed up talking all night. Well, that's been addressed in other chapters, the whole talking and drinking all night bit. Tho I am choosing to keep them sober in this story because that suits their characters more. No matter how much they wish to let go and party, they wouldn't get inebriated currently because it puts the team and the rest of the plans in danger and the Ongniel in this story--though they are still quite young--are very mature and responsible people. So, unfortunately, you will not see any drunken incidents but I do have two stories, a valentine one and a fluff one-shot you can check out that have a VERY drunk Ong.
> 
> I hope that you liked this chapter. Sorry for siking you out with the angst mention but really, they're all good--for now. Daniel isn't as stupid as he let you all think before. He's a smart cookie and he adores Ongie so no, he really doesn't want to put any distance and not be a part of his life (tho he thinks that might be for the best in order to prepare their future inevitable separation). Like Daniel can really even go a full day pretending to be cool with his precious Ongie. If I made you laugh or smile at all from the middle of this chapter on to ease your aching heart then I did what I came to do with this chapter. As I said, although the overall theme and background is a bit dark, the story itself goes through various tones. The plan is that every chapter has a different vibe to it.
> 
> Drop me your thoughts please. I really enjoy reading them! Authors live off feedback, it's our blood muahaha.
> 
> <3 Raina


	8. The Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Days pass rather peacefully at the hotel until Daniel and Ong have a run-in with a guard which leaves Daniel minorly wounded. While treating his wound, Ong does something that shakes the boundaries of their friendship.

The next day, the pair finally saw the couple come out of their room. They ate the ramen meant for dinner last night while the other two snacked on some bread. As to be expected, there occurred some teasing about how they had a hard time falling asleep last night and that some rude couple wouldn't even stop fornicating to have a decent meal.

Jaehwan turned all shy and giggly when he realized they’d been heard. Minhyun had next to no shame—figures, as he was an ex-worker of the sex industry--merely touching his boyfriend with fondness and a hint of possessiveness, wearing a smug, mischievous smile.

Seeing they couldn't tease them too much, the pair quickly lost interest. Their talk turned instead to the rest of their plans. Daniel laid out details on four possible jobs that he had gotten intel from the head of the hotel about, through Guanlin's translations of course. They only had to choose the one they wanted.

Minhyun chose to clean the rooms. Jaehwan chose to gather up sheets for cleaning and make up the beds with clean ones. Daniel took the job that Seongwoo would absolutely hate the most while the brunette with the kind heart was hesitating, which was assisting the accounting with checking their bills to see if everything added up correctly.

Seongwoo would assist a designer to make advertisement posters for the hotel, though that wasn't likely to bring in customers when the place was so shabby and shady. Still, Daniel was relieved he would be the least at risk of danger including running into psychos, hidden weapons, or hurting himself with his clumsiness. Surely the better option for an artistic person like him was to stay in an office area drawing.

Daniel and Jaehwan discussed with the directed staff in charge what they were expected to do since they were the only ones with Chinese ability, minor as Daniel’s was. Jaehwan’s listening abilities were much better than his speaking, they discovered.

 

 

"I'll walk you to the lobby, hyung."

Seongwoo smirked over his shoulder as he went down the stairs with Daniel at his heels, cupping his arm.

"I don't really need a chaperone, you know. I know where the lobby is," he commented playfully.

Daniel shrugged. "Just let me. It's part of my gentleman upbringing. I will feel more at ease knowing that everyone got to their proper positions as the leader of this group. I need to translate for you as well."

"You said you were going to leave the phone with me though? It has a translation app."

Daniel blushed, feeling that was stupid of him. He was almost on the verge of getting caught. Truthfully, he was only partially worried but mostly he wanted to spend more time with Seongwoo.

They'd been having a great morning compared to the last couple ones. He had made sure to take Seongwoo's arms off him before he woke up. He had had a good laugh at Seongwoo's confusion and rush to the bathroom once he felt his boxers were wet. Then, the rest of the time, things had been rather comfortable between them—peaceful, chattery, full of friendly banter.

It was much better than his stupid idea had gone yesterday. He didn't stop himself from touching Seongwoo on occasion and Seongwoo turned cutely flustered and shy when he did, not even brushing him off or shooting him a look to stop already. Even now he wasn't shaking off his slight hold. He cursed himself though for not coming up with a better excuse.

"Better to be safe than sorry. You know that old expression." He smiled cheekily.

Seongwoo rolled his eyes but luckily dropped it, not questioning again as the puppy followed him to the lobby office. Seongwoo knew just enough Chinese to kindly introduce himself. Daniel didn't like it though--he seemed a bit too smiley and excited to be with the designer. It was, he suspected, because the Chinese man had a kind smile and decent first impression.

"Take care of him. He's a bit of a clutz and easily lost, both figuratively and literally. He needs lots of direction, is what I mean. But you won't find anyone more hardworking and with a good artistic sense. If you need to communicate more, use this as a translation device."

Seongwoo stood on the side, hands politely gathered in front of his body with a wide grin as his guardian explained in broken Chinese how to use it and asked lots of detailed questions about what he would be expected to do. He then translated the best he could to Seongwoo, several times with checkups. Then, he clamped his hand on his arm with a warm smile.

"I think you've got the job down now. I'll get going to my work and pick you up later for rounds. Don't go anywhere. Just stay in the office until I get you. We don't know when a guard will come around here."

Daniel was about to leave when Seongwoo grabbed the sleeve of his black hoodie. Daniel turned around with a curious look.

"Do you think those guards all have guns?" He muttered with his gaze downward, ebony eyelashes fanning out and casting spindly shadows along his pointy cheeks.

"Yes, I'm sure they will. After they found out that one guard’s gun went missing after our encounter. Why?"

"Be careful. Wear your hood up and slouch. Your blonde hair stands out as well as your physical. You have a very distinctive walk too. Maybe you should change that."

Daniel was speechless for a minute. Then, he laughed and ruffled the other’s fluffy, dark waves.

"Thanks for the concern. I'll follow your advice. Those were genius ideas. Seems you’re becoming quite a good spy."

"There's some tips in on reconnaissance in that novel. That's why I brought it along."

"Ah, here I thought you were trying to amuse yourself because I'm boring."

Seongwoo looked up, shaking his head vehemently. "You're not boring in the least! I always like hanging out with you."

He cleared his throat and looked down again, face flaming. Daniel pinched his cheek and pulled, amazed by how elastic the skin was.

"Ah, did you? Cutie. It's funny how you get embarrassed by a person saying one nice thing. I'd love to stay and tease you, but I should go. I'll tease you later. Be ready for it."

"Meanie," Seongwoo brushed off his hand and brattily stuck out his tongue.

"Careful there, kitty. Next time I see your tongue, I might just bite it."

"I'm too fast."

Seongwoo stuck out his tongue several times. Daniel leaned in and snapped his teeth, making Seongwoo back up, squealing in fear. They laughed and looked at each other for long moment, enjoying the flirting they hadn't done in quite awhile. He had missed that.

Seongwoo's half, slightly sad smile suggested he had as well and he was feeling relieved that Daniel was more himself, though he didn't understand what caused the change either time.

Daniel gave him a wide smile full of positive vibes, ensuring he not worry about anything and simply focus on doing a good task today so they could make the full amount of money they needed for those fake ids and the boat tickets. He was likely imagining the vibe between them that suggested Seongwoo was reluctant to part and that the attraction between them was more and more stifling than ever. It must have been him projecting his own feelings after all that had happened recently.

Luckily, although Daniel's work place was another small office far away on the second floor, it happened to have a good view right into the office where Seongwoo was working. He couldn't check on the other two well, though he did see them hopping between rooms with a cart on occasion throughout the day. However, he was able to frequently look in at Seongwoo whenever he told the accountant he was helping that his eyes needed a break.

He'd lean against the window with his hood up and half his face covered, looking into the lobby office below. Seongwoo was seated at a desk with pencils, colored pens, and paper. Sometimes he called the designer over and used the phone to communicate his ideas or questions while checking if the design was alright with him. Most of the time, he was diligently sketching on his own.

Daniel realized that Seongwoo was the most handsome when he was serious and concentrating, which he had rarely seen in the rooms. His dainty hands moved expertly and gracefully, mesmerizing him as well. He wished he could see clearly what he was creating, sure it was something wonderful. He didn't do it much--not shown even 2% of it--but Daniel had been blessed with the sight of some of his drawings. They were exquisite lifelike, unique, and extremely detailed. He drew best from a visual which he was using the phone for.

 

 

Seongwoo came out of the office with a soft, pretty smile warming his slightly tired face. "Good. You listened to me."

Daniel responded proudly, "Sure, I did. I even walk differently."

"So you do. Though it makes you look rather lame, so it's difficult to watch."

"Hey, don't diss my efforts like that!"

Seongwoo laughed behind his hand while Daniel flashed him an offended look with a sulky pout. "Sorry. How was the number crunching? You must have a headache now."

Daniel reached up to massage his temples over his hood. "It comes and goes, yes. It was dreadfully boring."

Except for those moments I could see you, that is, Daniel thought. That was entertaining enough to get me through each long stretch between breaks.

"How did you fair?" he asked to be polite, though he knew the answer.

Seongwoo wouldn’t like knowing that he’d been spying. It would make him feel like an incompetent child that couldn’t be trusted. Though Daniel was just looking out for him because he cared.

With a bit of cockiness to his tone, "I faired well, of course. What is there I can't do when it comes to the arts? The guy had nothing but praise."

"Oh, did he? Will he give you a tip then?" Daniel joked lightly, smiling in amusement at Seongwoo’s ego. He felt like he liked him more like that and he should think that way more often. Seongwoo had numerous characteristics to be proud of.

"Hmm, he probably would if I put on more charms and got physical."

Daniel's footsteps faltered. That sounded like the guy clearly had an interest or made a move on him. He better switch their jobs from tomorrow. To keep Seongwoo safe. And to calm his jealous, territorial self down. Otherwise he’d be at the window, not getting any work done and putting them at risk by angering their temporary employers.

"Will you?"

Seongwoo turned back and laughed heartily at his expression. "I won’t! I won't be charming any men unless I think they're cute. And they definitely won't be any more shady, older Chinese men. I don't want to live like that. I want to live honestly and make a clean living. Using my looks and charms feels like cheating.”

Daniel's tense shoulders drooped with relief and he smiled wide as he started to catch up in a couple smooth, lengthy strides.

"Good to hear. That sort of life really doesn't suit you. You should be an ice prince that's only sweet to one person. And that person should be close in age."

Seongwoo shrugged with an amused grin making his thin lips curve up attractively. "If you say so. Now I just need to go find that person."

Well, I would really like to say you’ve already met him and he’s right here, but I should be realistic, damn…

Daniel forced his tone to sound bright and breezy as he promised, "I'll introduce you to someone nice living in Seoul or Incheon if I come across them in Busan."

Seongwoo equally forced himself to smile wider than he wanted to. "Alright, I'll do the same."

They shook hands to seal the deal on it.

 

 

As they walked into town, they attempted to talk about their ideal types but they didn't know really so that faded off quickly. They both just wanted someone attractive, nice, funny, close to their age, nothing else really mattered, even gender. Being picky was the privilege of experienced adults, which they were not in the least.

After buying food for the next day, they wandered around the town, Daniel again insisting on carrying all the bags.

Daniel apologized with a pout, "If I had some extra cash, I'd ask for you to choose what you want. I owe you for that Rooney look-alike doll."

It was nice to see Seongwoo maintain a smile almost throughout the whole day, at least from when Daniel had been with him. It was unusual but it made him feel proud of himself. Asking him to join the escape team and getting him out of that miserable, prettily disguised cage so that gorgeous, pure white dove could stretch his wings and fly freely had been the correct decision after all. He was able to let down his worries and stop beating himself up for the earlier incidents where he’d been terrified he’d lose his friend.

"That's okay. I like eye shopping."

"You should consider meeting someone rich and older. You deserve to be spoiled. The image of you going all over Gangnam swinging a bunch of shopping bags and flashing a VIP card everywhere suits you."

"Does it? I will keep that in mind. Hmm, where to meet someone rich? Will I have to get into the Sugar Daddy-Baby business?"

Daniel stopped in suggesting a more logical way when Seongwoo started coughing. They paused in the middle of the street, Daniel slapping his back lightly.

"Are you okay? Sounds like you caught a cold. That's why I told you to dress warmly before we left. You catch colds easily. A denim jacket over a sweater is hardly warm enough."

Seongwoo coughed into his hands, beautiful, naturally sparkling eyes swimming with tears. "I'm fine. Just a tickle in my throat. I recovered from my last cold weeks ago and I've been taking vitamins to decrease my chances of falling ill."

"Oh, that's good to hear. Anything else wrong these days? How's your back been?"

Seongwoo laughed and squirmed under his touch as he started massaging him. Seongwoo had not only weak stamina but a weak back and got cramps and aches frequently. Daniel often joked about he was like a grandpa, but in actuality he worried about it and took care of him by suggesting ways to help him feel better. Daniel was sometimes like his personal doctor on top of his guardian and confidant.  

Seongwoo had coolly refused at first but with Daniel's insistence, he had grown used to it. He grudgingly accepted his care like now and took his advice to feel better, eventually no longer denying he was less than perfectly healthy. It still hurt his pride that Daniel was just a year younger and perfectly healthy, not once having caught a cold since he knew him even.

As Daniel massaged his shoulders, checking for any large knots, Seongwoo stopped squirming but rubbed his jaw. "I'm fine in that aspect. I think I'm getting a cavity though."

"Shit. We can't afford that and there’s no quick fix but to knock the tooth out. We wouldn't even be allowed in a dentist’s office until we had fake ids and probably not even then. We would be at risk at getting caught."

"I know. It's fine. I'll go in Korea. Maybe..."

Daniel smiled as he read the anxious tone expertly. "Do you possibly not like dentists?"

Seongeoo nodded with a solemn look. "Honestly, they terrify me. I got nightmares before and after when I was younger. Even up until I got—Up until I left, I avoided going as long as possible."

Daniel started snickering. "That's funny. How old are you even…"

Seongwoo slapped him, wearing a huge pout. "Hing. Don't laugh about it. You're scared to death of a lady bug! You're not one to make fun of me."

Daniel shook his hands, laughing harder. "No that's not why. It's funny because I'm scared too. Even though I’m almost as old as you."

"Oh, you are? Eh, coward. You have a lot you're scared of with that big body and masculine look of yours. It doesn’t match at all. That’s really hilarious."

It was Seongwoo's turn to laugh as they went back to walking. Daniel pretended to be offended. Their arms swung brushing here and there as they laughed together because of how close they were but unlike before they didn't jerk away despite the warm, tingly sensations. The atmosphere between them was charged but in a softer, more pleasant way than in the room last night.

"How about we go together? I'll come up to Seoul if you can't find your way down."

"Sounds good. It’s a date then. I just need to find the bus."

Daniel snorted. "You can hardly find your way to the garden outside the facility, hyung. Are you really sure? Maybe you should use your drawing skills to make maps and carry them around with you for whenever you need it. Since you’re not good at using phones either with there being more than three steps to follow."

Seongwoo glared at him and slapped his arm. "Is it your mission every day to tease me? I'm your hyung, so have some respect."

Daniel snickered, elbowing the sulky elder. "It's my main source of entertainment. Use your top notch acting skills to hide your cute reactions then." 

Seongwoo’s smile faltered slightly, eyes like the Milky Way directed to the pavement as he admitted softly, "I'm no good at acting off camera somehow. I can't hide it…"

Daniel shrugged with an impish grin. "Well then, I guess you're screwed. In a different way than usual."

"Rude!"

Daniel winced and whined as he got punched for the tasteless joke, pretending it hurt fiercely. “Ah, my arm! I think it’s going to fall off now. You have to carry the bags all by yourself now, oh no. What if both of us have to go back to the hotel with only one arm?”

“Shut up,” Seongwoo said around an exasperated laugh, then snatched the bags away. “I can carry things myself. I’m not a princess.”

“Could have fooled me. All pretty, dainty, and proud as you are.”

“Shut up, I said!” Seongwoo pushed the blonde who was still acting like he was on the verge of needing his arm amputated, unable to stop his giggles.

 

 

After coming back from their rounds with food for dinner, the other couple had finished up their work and were waiting in their room.

"Seongwoo-yah, it's a miracle." Daniel gasped.

On instinct, Seongwoo cutely covered his eyes and turned around away from the open door.

"They have clothes on!" He finished jokingly.

"Yah! I thought the opposite!" Seongwoo turned around and slapped his back, looking extremely irritated—how adorable it was. How could he ever resist teasing him?

"Arasso, arasso. Sorry, Seongwoo. I couldn't help it, honestly. Your reactions are too funny and exaggerated. Like a kid. Get in here before we’re seen though. The light shows our faces too well at night. Come in, kiddo."

Daniel grabbed the disgruntled man crossing his arms tight across his chest by the shoulders and pushed him in like he was easily pushing a shopping cart. Seongwoo was forced to stumble inside, whining about him rudely not calling him hyung.

Daniel shut the door and whispered near his ear, "There's lots of times when I didn't call you hyung. Sometimes you even requested it because you liked it so much. Shall I remind you, Seongwoo-yah?"

Seongwoo flushed deeply and wiggled out of his hold. He then ran for escape to Minhyun's side, complaining to his same-age friend about Daniel being mean and weird and couldn't they switch rooms. Daniel stared hard at Minhyun's hand on the back of Seongwoo’s neck, massaging it, his stomach turning unpleasantly.

"Sorry, no can do. You cannot choose your roommate in this case. Me and Jaehwan have a lot of unfinished business. Do you know how few times we've ever had sex?"

"Much less than any of the rest of us obviously," Daniel sat down close to Seongwoo, tickling his feet and winking.

Seongwoo kicked the smirking blonde asking for his attention subtly with his socked foot and shot him an icy look. Daniel obediently said no more after glancing over and seeing the tightness and dropping smile on Jaehwan's face. He of course must have hit a sore spot there. It was careless of him to joke around about their forced sexual escapades with one that hadn’t been involved.

Surely it wasn't easy with the one you loved having no choice but to fuck someone else every day to survive. Daniel kind of understood that. He hadn't really known he had a crush then, but he certainly hadn't really liked the idea from some point of someone else touching Seongwoo. Mostly he just hadn't wanted them to hurt him yet also didn't want him to feel better with them than he did with him. For a long time, he had thought it was just like brotherly affection mixed with his pride as the number one.

Until, that was, he started wondering if Seongwoo was as close to Minhyun specifically. If they also shared those little things—such as the long serious talks, all the jokes and laughter, the clinginess when he was asleep, the sweet way he moaned his real name when he wasn’t supposed to, and how incredibly responsive and intense he was when they had their sessions. Those little things somehow ended up meaning a lot to him as did his place as Seongwoo's best friend, the one he could treat most carefully and knew him the best from inside to out.

Now the more he thought of it, Daniel realized he had been pretty stupid to not have understood his feelings earlier. Understandably, because he'd never had a crush before nor had he talked to others about Seongwoo extensively or how much he cared and thought of him. Probably anyone who was wiser than him would have hit him on the head if he had, saying that he was obviously whipped.

Though he was currently in denial that it was that bad just yet. He told himself it was a tiny bit of a crush and temporary. That it would fade away gradually once they separated and lead different lives. It had to be. Since they simply couldn’t be together in that way.

Seongwoo just couldn't have his first relationship and risk his friendship with someone from the facility. Surely even talking to him would bring back unpleasant memories he was trying to get past. That might cause Seongwoo to relapse which he truly hated the idea of.

Daniel distracted his wayward, depressing thoughts by taking out the sandwiches, sodas, and chips. Jaehwan was excited to see a Subway sandwich and stoic Minhyun was the most obvious with his joy they'd ever seen. Apparently, Seongwoo had made a great choice of tonight’s menu.

"Eat up."

Daniel gave the tastiest of them to Seongwoo, having ordered it with all the condiments he knew he liked. Since Seongwoo was a sandwich mania. Daniel felt full just by watching Seongwoo eat it heartily with a big, saucy grin and stuffed squirrelly cheeks—just like he had in the room several times.

"Hmm, fo goof~"

Daniel chuckled and wiped his curvy lips with a napkin in a caring manner. "Don't try to talk, just chew."

After a minute of smiling at the elder with the other two watching them with cheeky grins, Daniel finally took a large bite of his own. As they ate their dinner and shared sodas, they sorted out the finer details of the next part of their escape plan.

They would certainly have enough money for the fake ids and tickets which would be to them in three days. They needed to stay low profile until then, simply going out fully covered and only for a short period to decrease the chances of getting caught by any potentially patrolling guards which they had yet to come across.

The next day was Minhyun and Jaehwan’s turn to go out. Rather than just stuff to eat and drink, they were on a mission for items they would need to take a bus to the coast and items they would need on the boat, including sea sickness meds and cigars to bribe anyone with if necessary since Guanlin informed him Chinese boat men had a craving for it.

After discussing and jotting down roles and duties, Daniel gave Guanlin a call on his burner phone to tell him all the details and get approval. The smart young man gave some suggestions to make the plan more iron clad. He also put Guanlin on speaker and introduced the team members officially. They were impressed with his maturity, deep voice and incredible language ability.

"Hyung, I've got to get going to my study session. Don't forget to get ropes. You never know when mutiny will occur. Get a book about how to work a boat too, in case you end up having to tie up the crew and take over. Of course, bribes, friendly conversation, and the top quality ids should work. I’ll be there as well. But I can't afford unfortunately to study how to drive a boat at the moment."

"I've got loads of free time. No worries. Thanks for the help as always, genius bro."

"Hardly. I'm looking forward to seeing you, hyung. And all of your friends. It has been a difficult time for you guys, but it's almost over. Just stay strong and sharply focused just a bit more. On the boat, if you don't mind, I would love to hear all your stories.

Me and Daehwi are attempting to build a rescue organization that works inside of Swing instead of doing this on our own. It's just impossible to sleep well at night knowing there's Koreans just like my friends and brother that are abducted and forced to do unspeakable things because of their looks. It's so wrong even for an appearance central culture."

"You're right. It IS wrong. Do what you can to help many of them out, but be careful. You shouldn't get so deeply involved with the underground. You've got a bright feature in more healthy fields. Focus on your studying first and foremost."

Daniel sounded very much like a wise, caring older brother. Hearing that and seeing their loving interactions brought a smile and warmth to Seongwoo.

"Alright, I will. I should get number one in the school again and brag to my hyung like the old days."

Daniel’s smile was as soft and fluffy as clouds. "Yup, you should. I don't know when, but I'll send you a gift, some pretty clothes."

He explained after shutting off the connection that Guanlin was a fashionista who was interested mainly in Korean trends. He had often come to Korea for shopping and Daniel would randomly send him gifts of nice clothes he found on sale or didn't fit him anymore as he filled out.

After hanging up, Daniel noticed Seongwoo expression was odd. He was smiling but it was wistful and pinched with strain. His eyes held a deep sadness and envy, as if he were on the verge of tears.

"Hyung? Are you alright? What are you thinking about?"

A nervous shift of his head towards the other two suggested that he didn't want to talk about too much in front of them. Seongwoo was a private person and Daniel felt proud that possibly others didn't have the privilege of him opening his mind up. Not even Minhyun.  

"It seems you're close to your brother."

"It's only been months since he found me again, but yeah I guess so. Once you're close to someone like family, no matter how much time apart occurs, you will feel familiar right away."

"Ah, is that so? Good to know."

Daniel figured then he was thinking about his younger brother. He had worries here and there about him, especially if they'd recognize each other and be the way they were before they'd been ripped apart. He seldom talked about his family though since it hurt too much and made him cry.

Seongwoo cried a lot, he was sure, but he hated to cry in front of others and was excellent at holding back. Daniel himself had only seen his tears a handful of times when he was drunk and they were watching a family or sad romance movie. He wanted to give him a hug, but he settled for rubbing his back with his splayed, warm palm instead.

"If there's a way to call internationally, I will get you through to your brother. It's not going to be much longer and you'll be eating your mom's home cooked meals at your old dining table surrounded by loved ones. There is no way they have forgotten or stopped loving you. They must be missing you terribly. With blood, nothing really changes."

Seongwoo sniffled and cleared his throat, blinking back tears and brushing his nose. "Yeah, you're probably right. In a few more days I'll be home. Then I can worry about my family."

"It's going to be alright. They'll be delighted to see you even if they at first think you're a ghost," Daniel warmly reassured, clasping around his bony shoulder and shaking him to get his mood back up which usually worked wonders.

Seongwoo flushed and not so subtly shied away from his touch, glancing uncertainly at the others as if he’d just recalled they weren’t alone in his room anymore. The couple wasn't making matters any better by blatantly staring at them, not even chewing on the chunks of sandwich stuffed in their cheeks, impish, matching smirks on their faces.

"What are you looking at? Eat and go. I want to sleep early before you guys get to your funny business. Which I hope you will be quieter. These walls are really thin, you know," Daniel grumbled, feeling irritated and embarrassed.

He wondered if his crush were obvious to them and wished that they hadn’t been interrupted. He should really lay off the caring and skinship with Seongwoo around those two sharp obnoxious guys. His whole plan would be spoiled if they knew and told Seongwoo something weird. They still had several days left they had to share a room, not to mention a bed. As if it weren't already awkward enough.

"You just keep that in mind yourself," Minhyun commented with a wink that made the mandu-cheeked man turn pink and burst into school girl giggles.

Daniel kicked them under the table, crying inwardly. They did know! It was too late.

Luckily, Seongwoo wasn't so quick witted. He watched with confusion, then got back to his sandwich with an amused, crooked smile.

 

 

"Hmm, should I go to this cafe?"

"Hyung you already had two cups. That's not at all good for your stomach and the thought of all those calories in just one..."

"Shh! Delicious things are zero calories. Don’t you dare say otherwise."

Daniel stood alert, tempted to kiss the finger Seongwoo pressed on his lips. He luckily put it down before Daniel lost control of himself.

This whole sharing a bed every night and going on rounds like dates together was quite challenging. Every other moment he was fighting with his inner, primal beast as if he were in heat. He terribly wanted to kiss Seongwoo every other minute when they were together and his fingers itched to wrap around his slim, shapely body. He only allowed that at night—if Seongwoo approached him at first in his deep, rem-cycle sleep.

There had been no repeats of the first night’s wet dream, but even cuddling and lightly kissing parts of Seongwoo’s face as he slept made him aroused. He had to wake up early the last two days in order to relieve himself, otherwise he would be too high-strong to work properly and every little thing Seongwoo did might pop a boner which would be humiliating. He felt guilty about it but there wasn’t really much he could do about it. He needed distance and time.

"Whatever you say, hyung. Go for another one. I'll wait here and stretch my legs."

Seongwoo pouted, not liking the idea of to go coffee. Daniel put his hands in his jeans pockets, turning away from him with a cool, indifferent look. Seongwoo gave up with a cute, flustered groan.

"Fine. Stay there."

A minute later, Seongwoo came out with no coffee in hand, his face panicked. When Daniel asked what was wrong, he covered his mouth and pushed him around the corner. Daniel allowed himself to pushed into the shaded wall, telling his dick to calm down because it was highly unlikely that Seongwoo found him so irresistibly hot in that moment that he was planning on getting freaky. It didn’t stop him from feeling mildly excited and hopeful, however.

Seongwoo kept looking to his right out into the street with an anxious, fearful expression. Daniel mumbled against his hand and poked his side, not sure to be amused or alarmed. Seongwoo released his mouth and slapped his pesky hand away.

He hissed lowly, "I think I saw a Swing guard coming this way. He almost spotted you. He’s armed."

All feelings of arousal and amusement were swept away. "Shit. You should have been calmer. He more than likely saw you and is coming this way."

Seongwoo glanced around the corner, biting his lips. He jerked his head back.

"He's coming this way! He's armed for sure. And he’s freaking big. What should we do, Daniel? What to do?"

Daniel saw there was nowhere to hide and the alley was a dead end. They would both get caught at this rate. If the guard walked by and clearly saw them, he would tell others what they were wearing and call for back up. They were twenty minutes walk away from the hotel and there was only one main street. It could take three times as long to get there by side streets and they couldn't afford to be spotted by anyone else.

In a state of panic, Daniel’s brain ran through two options. One was direct confrontation, as quick and quiet as possible. The other was that he make-out with Seongwoo while hiding their faces with their hoods and his hands. However, they hadn’t even kissed since their last broadcast. He wasn’t going to ruin the success he’d had fighting off his urges for the sake of their future and friendship. He only debated option two for ten seconds before deciding he had no other choice but to go with option one, putting him at serious risk of being hurt if he was at all slow or careless.

"He didn't see me, right? I'll go out and surprise him."

Seongwoo’s eyes widened in horror and he shook his head vehemently, clutching Daniel’s arms though he had yet to budge. "No, you shouldn’t! He has a gun and he's big, I’m telling you. I'll go and get caught instead. Then, you can sneak up on him from behind."

And put Seongwoo at risk of those cruel bastards manhandling him again? Over my dead body.

"I have a gun and I'm big too, in case you forgot. You saw me take out a guard already."

"It's still risky,” Seongwoo insisted stubbornly, biting on his lip and appearing more anxious and fearful than ever.

Daniel smiled softly at the knowledge that he was afraid now for the sake of him rather than not believing in his abilities. It was nice that Seongwoo worried and cared for him like this. Daniel had never imagined that Seongwoo might consider putting himself at risk to keep Daniel alive. It was…really sweet. However, Seongwoo jumping in the line of fire again, seeing that and feeling helpless to protect him—that was never going to happen again.

"It's much riskier if you go."

"Not if I have the gun."

Daniel had no intention of letting the stubborn cutie go but he humored him. He cocked his head and raised his eyebrow with an amused smirk.

"You know how to use it? Okay, hyung. If you want to be the brave manly one to save me as a favor, I get it. You go on ahead. Take the gun and step out there."

He pulled it out of his pants and held it out. Seongwoo stared down at in in horror, his crooked teeth working furiously on his pretty lips. Daniel chuckled, pocketing the gun again at his hesitation. Seongwoo as usual, all bark and no bite—except for occasionally in bed if he was in the mood for it. His cock twitched and he mentally slapped himself. Not the time, Daniel, certainly not the time.

"That's what I thought. You get down and hide your face. Act like a sleeping, drunk bum. Just in case he comes by this way."

He was just about to go out when he felt a tug at the back of his hoodie.

"Daniel...please be careful."

"Eh, you worry too much. This will be a piece of cake."

He smiled wide and ruffled the hair of the anxious cutie with suddenly teary eyes. It got him more amped up to go out and protect his friend knowing that he was worried about his safety. He would surely come back. At least he had to spend a few more days with his crush, basking in the presence of his perfection and stealing cuddles and kisses at night.

The large, built blonde needed no more incentive to survive than that. He pulled up his hood more and ran his fingers through his shaggy hair, so it covered his face more. Then, he walked out at a brisk pace with his head ducked down, one hand on the gun’s hilt.

Seongwoo was left behind, shivering and biting his fingernails, his chest feeling like it was about to cave in and puncture his lungs as he held his breath. He did do as Daniel said a moment later, however.

 

 

The guard recognized the casually strolling blonde man when he got near. The company had made sure the guards new what clothes they might be wearing as well as had them memorize their features. He stopped in the street and pulled his gun, shouting at him in Chinese.

Daniel remained quiet, calm, and focused. He pointed to himself and acted like a confused, wronged tourist. The guard kept shaking the gun at him, shouting orders at him in Chinese like for him to drop to his knees and put his hands over his head. Daniel merely smiled and turned his head to the side that he didn't get it.

The bulky guard waved his gun and shouted some more, about to burst with fury. Daniel shrugged and continued walking down the street like he hadn’t a care or speck of fear in the world. His plan was to blindside him the moment he gave up. However, it turned out this man was deadset that he had the right person.

The guard turned around with his gun, following and keeping up with Daniel's brisk pace down the cobble-stone path. He started to run and the man chased him, warning that he would shoot if he didn't stop. Daniel whipped around with his leg out when he heard the click of the gun being cocked. The bullet snapped as Daniel’s leg spun in a windmill formation, hitting the gun askew just as his boot got to it. The bullet crashed into a potted plant, shattering the clay pot.

Daniel lunged on the guard, wrapping his arms around his thick neck. They struggled for a minute, mostly silently. Daniel managed to climb on his back with his arm wrapped around in his throat. The guard thrashed, trying to throw him off. He saw the gun and started stumbling desperately for it, gasping for breath. Daniel took out his gun and shot the stone by it. The resulting blast flung the gun farther out of reach. The guard fell to his knees as Daniel squeezed harder. Then, the blonde held the gun to his head so that he would stop trying to throw him. Finally, the guard stilled, realizing it was hopeless.

Daniel managed to put the guy to sleep and dumped him in an ally, taking his radio and the gun for their own private use. If anyone had noticed the altercation, they didn’t come out to observe or question anyone. He figured that shady things and crime happened often in this small town so people just kept to themselves and ignored it.

 

 

When he returned to the ally, Seongwoo was curled in a ball with his hands over his ears, sobbing. "Gunshot... Daniel...what if he got shot...why is there no other sound? What happened? What do I do now? Hing, where's Daniel...please don't die, don't leave me alone. I don’t know what to do. I need you…"

Daniel smiled as he stood behind him for a minute more, just watching. Usually the idea of Seongwoo crying was horrible and heartbreaking, but just then he liked the idea of Seongwoo upset and not wanting to lose him. After a while, he felt bad for torturing the distressed man and spoke bright and breezy with a big grin.

"Seongwoo, I'm here. I'm fine. I fought him and won. He's asleep."

Seongwoo jumped up and turned with shock on his teary face. It was the look of a man who thought he was looking at a ghost.

Daniel stifled a laugh and merely kept on talking to assure Seongwoo that he was a real person.

"I got his gun and walkie talkie. I don’t think he told anyone where we were, but we can use this to give the guards the wrong direction. It's good for spying as well. It was a good choice for me to go out and confront him. He might be big but he sure was easy to fall. I don’t think that one was properly trained. Maybe a new recruit.”

Seongwoo didn’t appearing to be listening. He bit his quivering lip as his eyes sprouted a new round of huge tears.

"Daniel, you're alive. I thought you got shot. What took you so long? Why was it so quiet? I thought you were hurt! You should have said that you’re okay right away."

Next thing he knew, Seongwoo had launched himself onto Daniel, clinging to his waist like a koala. He sobbed hard into his hoodie. Daniel stood with his arms out, at a loss of what to do with the sudden intimate move he hadn’t at all expected. Seongwoo must have really had a scare and cared about him on some deeper level than he'd hoped for. The thought was even better than the moment he’d finally become free.

"Don't scare me like that again, you idiot! I told you not to go!"

"Hey, I'm fine. It was easy, like I said. I wasn't at any risk. He's like a dog, all bark and no bite. He had all the chances to shoot me, but he didn't. What a stupid cowa--"

"He did though! There was a shot. No, two shots."

"It missed me, hyung. I kicked the gun. The bullet only hurt a pot, that’s all. The other shot was me. Things were quiet because I had him in a sleep hold and I was trying not to draw any attention. Calm down a bit. You're getting me soaked. I already showered, thanks."

He chuckled and awkwardly pat the crybaby’s head. Seongwoo squeezed him tighter, still crying. It felt nice to have him consciously in his arms again. It was even better than in the facility because this time it was guaranteed not part of an act. Seongwoo really had missed him.  
“Cry baby…”

“Shut up. You stupid, reckless puppy.”

“That I am, Seongwoo. That I am. You don’t even know how right you are,” Daniel murmured as he pat and pressed his lips to his head outside the hood.

 

 

“Are you sure you’re really okay?”

Seongwoo sniffled and wiped his face, brushing away Daniel’s hands from doing the job because it was embarrassing. They had been hugging and crying for nearly ten minutes.

He pulled out of the blonde’s embrace because as nice as it was feeling they really shouldn’t be doing that--not even just in public, but at all. They weren’t working for the facility anymore, after all. They were just regular guy friends and from what he recalled of his adolescence, guy friends didn’t hug each other so tight and long. They also probably didn’t cry this hard at the thought of being without the other, but well it was too late for that.

Seongwoo chocked it up to the fact that he was a sentimental person and once he got close to someone, they became extremely important to him. Which meant the thought of them being hurt might just cause him to be a bit emotional. It was a reasonable emotion, even if he’d gone a bit over the top, he told himself.

There’s nothing weird about your behavior or your feelings. Daniel is your friend. Panicking and shedding tears at the thought of him dying--that didn’t necessarily mean anything special about their relationship. Let’s not linger on it. Better to just sweep the whole incident under a rug.

“I feel great. Maybe it’s the adrenaline. I wouldn’t mind if I had a few more run-ins. It feels great getting even a small bit of revenge. If only I saw that nasty couple sometime before we left. That would be extremely satisfying.”

“If you see them, I’m in on it. Even if there’s risks. I get to shoot Victoria.”

Seongwoo’s slight smile faded into a round-mouthed gasp as he searched Daniel’s body for any signs of injury. Seongwoo discovered a gash at the outer thigh area of his jeaned left leg. Blood was staining the edges and dripping down his leg.

“You’re bleeding! Oh my god, you got shot!”

“Eh? No, I didn’t. What do you mean?” Daniel appeared just as shocked as well as confused.

Seongwoo glared at him and then pointed to his leg. “You idiot! You seriously cannot feel that?”

Daniel blinked for several moments at the gash as he registered what Seongwoo was talking about.“Oh, huh. I guess it does sting a bit. I must have gotten grazed by the bullet he let off. Not really shot. I hardly noticed. I didn’t like though. It’s not technically getting shot.”

“How could you…? Ugh, seriously. We’re going back to the hotel right away. Good thing we brought a first aid kit. I knew you’d end up needing one. Stupid, reckless puppy who thinks he can do everything and doesn’t even realize when he’s been injured. Drives me freaking nuts…”

Daniel chuckled as Seongwoo dragged him out of the ally, grumbling about him. The whole situation that happened today and especially this very moment was somehow extremely amusing.

He decided not to say anything though because Seongwoo was angry and likely on the verge of tears. Both of those things he didn’t have a strong urge to see again. Unless the tears came with guaranteed clingy, cozy hugs—those had been nice enough to make it almost worth it.

 

 

“Strip.”

Seongwoo’s tone was crisp and tight as he sat on the floor of their hotel room with the first aid kit open, digging through for what he needed.

“Neh?” Daniel stood near the wall and covered his chest bashfully like a maiden on her first time with her husband.

Seongwoo rolled his eyes, not amused to his surprise. “Not everything, you perv. Just your jeans. Strip down, right now.”

“Why?”

Daniel flushed at the idea of standing half naked with Seongwoo touching his thighs and his head being so close to his genitals. He didn’t think this was a good idea. Surely he would imagine and recall things and he never did have very good control of his libido, especially as of late. It would be embarrassing to pop a boner in this situation.

Seongwoo’s tone was all business and on the verge of snapping, “How can I treat it properly with all that fabric in the way? Hurry up, you’re bleeding. Just shut up and take them off now. No time to be all bashful and proper.”

“How about I just do it myself?” Daniel suggested, flushing from ears to neck, which wasn’t like him at all.

Why did he turn into a shy, fumbling bafoon after leaving the facility? This wasn’t the Kang Daniel that everyone knew. He was the one that made people act like that, not the other way around. It had to be because he realized that he had a crush on Seongwoo now and that Seongwoo was quite a bit bolder than he had been before. I can’t believe he told me to get naked in broad daylight, he thought, flabbergast.

“It would take a long time and you’ll get blood everywhere. What if you lose too much and that makes you dizzy? You wouldn’t be able to work tomorrow and that might set back our schedules.”

Seongwoo shook his head with a determined look.

“Stop being shy. I’ve seen everything already. I’m just going to be your nurse and clean it up and stick a bandage on, Niel. It will take two minutes. Strip, now.”

Daniel scratched his neck, hesitating a few seconds more. Then, he sighed as Seongwoo appeared even more irritated, gesturing impatiently him to pull his pants down. Feeling bashful and awkward, he unzipped his jeans and slowly slid them down to his calves. He hissed and winced as the fabric scratched the wound.

“Dang, that stings.”

Seongwoo responded dryly while diving into the kit, “I’m sure it does. I’m glad you at least finally know that, you dummy. I was worried that you might have gotten paralyzed from the waist down by a hit nerve. How could you not have noticed before?”

“I was more focused on getting back to you and then on stopping your hysterics.”

“Unbelievable. Don’t mention me crying now. I can make this painful or I can make it decently pleasant, you hear me Kang Daniel?” he threatened with a q-tip, ointment and bandages in his other hand.

Daniel kicked off his jeans and leaned against the wall in his boxers and socks. Seongwoo came closer, eyes on the wound at his thigh. It didn’t luckily appear deep. There was just quite a lot of blood dripping down.

Seongwoo knelt close by and dabbed the top and around the wound with gauze to wipe away the blood. Daniel chose to look across the room rather than down at his head. Did he really have to do this so close and on his knees even? It was the spitting image of his past blowjob sessions.

He took in a deep breath and grit his teeth as Seongwoo cleaned the stinging cut with alcohol and ointment. When he hissed sharply, Seongwoo glanced up at him with a light, teasing chuckle.

“Look at you, being a whole baby.”

“Hey, it stings. You try getting shot then,” Daniel complained, sticking his tongue out.

“Thanks, but no thanks. I’m going to avoid guns the rest of my life if possible. You can go ahead and take care of the armed guards. I’ve got my cheetah legs.”

Seongwoo pulled out the bandage and ripped it with his teeth. Daniel bit his lip and dug into the wall, putting great effort into thinking of unattractive things that would stop his dick from stiffening further. Damn, that was hot though, just as it had been the last time.

Seongwoo was about to put on the bandage over the cleaned wound, then stopped to blow.

“Even cheetah legs will hardly help you outrun a bullet, Ongcheongie,” he groaned, looking up at the ceiling.

He lost the battle as the image of pursed lips and the feel of warm air touching his sensitive skin tore through his mind, setting his body on fire.

Seongwoo put on the bandage and then paused before he was about to stand up. Just a few inches away from his head, Daniel’s member was saluting him through tented boxers. The younger was turned on from this.

Daniel prayed that he wouldn’t notice his boner or if he did, not to say anything. He was mortified. What would Seongwoo think? He must seem like such a desperate pervert with some sort of gunshot wound fetish.

Seongwoo found himself moving on his own accord. It had been a long time since he’d touched that part of Daniel and he honestly missed it. If Daniel was his best friend, then that not-so-little fellow was like the runner up.

Daniel groaned and stiffened as he felt warm, soft lips press at the tip of his bulging cock. A shocked look down confirmed it. Seongwoo was kissing his protruding member through his boxers. Why on earth--?

Seongwoo stood up a second later, avoiding Daniel’s eyes and flushing deeply. The contact had been a mere brush but it shattered the normal, pleasant, friendly atmosphere they’d built up instantly. They became dreadfully awkward and furiously red in the face, unable to make eye contact.

“S-sorry.”

“N-nothing to be sorry for.”

“Old habits die hard.”

“They do. I can’t help but still find you attractive. And that position was quite suggestive.”

They both laughed awkwardly. They were frozen in place, heads down or to the side, faces redder and bodies hotter by the second.

“I didn’t mean it to be. I didn’t mean to do that either. Sorry to overstep my bounds. We’re not employees anymore.”

“Right, we’re just normal friends.”

“And friends don’t do that, right?”

“No, I don’t think they do usually.”

 

 

Rated M content from here to the end of the chapter

 

They continued to avoid each other’s eyes as they nervously rambled, chewing on lips and fidgeting with their clothes. The air was stifling with awkwardness and a buzzing, heavy, scorching sort of tension that was familiar. It was more suffocating than ever.

Which was why as soon as they dared a glance at the other which happened to be at the same time, curiosity truly turned out to kill the cat. Their pressed down desires bubbled to the surface and boiled over. The pair hardly knew who they were or what they were doing at that moment. They lacked any sorts of rational thoughts, merely acting on the raw desire they felt from days of celibacy and fighting off their intense attraction.

Daniel grabbed Seongwoo’s arms and pulled him flush to his body with a molten, intense look. Seongwoo eagerly threw his arms around the other’s broad shoulders just above his hood and buried his hands in the silky, blond locks. The action was as natural and comfortable to them as breathing.

Their mouths crashed like angry waves during a fierce storm. They had never had a kiss quite this fierce and addicting.

Was I ever this attracted and horny? Did I ever like kissing this much? Seongwoo thought hazily as he and Daniel traveled to another world for several minutes just caressing over their clothes, clinging and kissing greedily.

He considered that maybe it hadn't always been because he got too immersed in acting. Maybe he really had been especially attracted to Daniel as a person this whole time which turned an odd form when mixed with that he was someone he cared for and appreciated and needed in his life.

The minutes that he’d thought he might have lost Daniel—it had really messed with his system. He had no idea what he was feeling for him anymore, but it didn’t really matter. He wanted to be with Daniel physically again, now that he knew he was alive and thankfully unharmed for the most part. Knowing that Daniel wanted him as a person too outside if their act—that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Daniel's hands were the first to dare move past fabric boundaries, opening up new doors to their intimacy. This was the longest they had gone before stripping. Usually in the facility it was custom to strip themselves and get to the good stuff at least partially naked to put on a good show for those impatient pervs. It was unusual but pleasant to feel Daniel touching under his shirt with no seeming intent to remove it.

His hands were hot yet gentle as they explored slowly all over his tummy, calloused, commanding fingertips danced across his ribs and then laid over his heart, stilling to feel the rapid beating he had solely caused. It was romantic and sensual. It was intoxicating and addicting.

Seongwoo liked this new experience a lot. Already sex outside of the facility--sex of their own free will and choice, sex that wasn't timed or some sort of show for others but their own private party with no one to impress--was incredibly different.

Seongwoo was at a loss at what to do since he’d only ever known one sort of intimacy. Daniel could sense that. He wasn't much clearer on what he was doing either. They needed to figure out how to do it together.

Just do what you want, I’m okay with anything as long as it’s you, Seongwoo sensed from his passionate, heated kiss. He kissed back just as greedily, biting and sucking at Daniel’s plush lips and fighting his tongue for more space. His hands slid down from his neck and hesitantly buried under his shirt.

Daniel shivered and groaned low as the elder’s cool, graceful, silky fingers lightly grazed his chiseled stomach. Seongwoo smirked, finding that entertaining. He lightly rubbed his fingertips over various areas, feeling his body flex under his touch and then soften. His hand went up to his pecks and laid there, squeezing and brushing warm, solid skin. Daniel hummed pleasantly, his own hands moving to do the same.

Seongwoo broke the kiss and moved his mouth to Daniel's neck. He pecked along the veins up to his square jaw, then he nibbled and flicked his tongue along the bone to the other side where he went on his toes to suck on his earlobe.

Daniel had his eyes closed, lips parted and head tilted. Seongwoo moved his fingers to play with the large nipples until they were hard. Daniel sighed in relief and then softly groaned.

They had yet to say a word to each other which was unusual. Dirty talk was half the show when they did broadcasts. If they were on broadcast now, they would have had a large number of points deducted.

Seongwoo rather enjoyed and preferred foreplay without talking once he’d tried it though, judging how Daniel was feeling by his body's reaction alone. Daniel seemed of the same mind. His fingers started to follow what Seongwoo’s were doing.

Seongwoo was more sensitive and so he lost the ability to multitask. They switched positions as Seongwoo grew weak in the knees, needing some support. Seongwoo leaned back against the wall, head hitting it, raising his head towards the ceiling and crying out sharply.

“Daniel~”

The first time saying the blonde’s name with such volume during sex was exhilarating. It was better than he had imagined. With just that one word, he realized that he truly was free. What a wonderful sensation it was, being able to do whatever he wanted without consequence.

Daniel hissed as he dived down hungrily to his neck. He bit down on Seongwoo's neck just above his turtle neck and sucked hard, fingers moving in a frenzy for his tingling buds. Seongwoo writhed, crying out the blonde’s name again, wanting to make Daniel more excited since he seemed to like it.

Daniel bit and sucked another part of his neck, moaning excitedly. Seongwoo grinned wide at the knowledge Daniel liked it even more than he did. So, he kept doing it, testing how the man reacted to different tones. The tortured man ended up embracing him and grinding him into the wall fiercely, panting, steamy mouth still at his ear as if he were too out of it to kiss.

“Seongwoo…” he breathed back in response, sounding blissful and on the verge of breaking.

They didn't understand why it was feeling so good with just this much or why they were both suddenly emotional from such a simple act. Seongwoo smiled, happy tears gathering in the corners of his eyes.

 

 

Daniel eventually stood up, peeling off his denim jacket and grabbing the hem of his sweater. It felt as if he were unwrapping a birthday present. His expression was lit up in awe like a Christmas tree.

Seongwoo shyly brought his scarred wrists across his chest once he was naked from the waist up, chewing on his lip. He felt uncomfortable with how intensely Daniel was staring at him with a mix of desire and wonder.

“Don't act like it's the first time you've seen me naked.”

Daniel closed his mouth with a serene smile and a puppy like tilt of his head.

“It feels like it though. You are just... there's no words really. Seongwoo-yah, you don't really know how good you look, do you? It's enough to drive a man insane. I swear only you can do that to me.”

Seongwoo waved his hand and flushed, casting a heavy-lidded dark glance at his chest.

“I'm nothing. You're really the people-driving-crazy one. That’s why you’re number one.”

Daniel laughed at his childish terminology. Usually the man was poetic and eloquent with his word choices sometimes as if he was from a whole nother era.

“Why don't you undress me too? It's something we've never done. Something we can only do now we're free from the cage, not restricted by the strict system.“

Daniel held his arms up high with a playful, radiant grin. Seongwoo chewed on his fingertips, staring at his exposed tummy with want shrouded in slight hesitation. Daniel encouraged him until he wavered. His hands shook as they gripped the hoodie and pulled it to his armpits. Daniel folded his big body down. They giggled as he found himself stuck and tangled in the sleeves and narrow hole several seconds later.

“I can breathe.”

“Not for long.”

As soon as Daniel popped his head up taking a deep breath with his hair a total bird’s nest, Seongwoo was there with a special darkness in his eyes. He lusted after Daniel terribly, more so than he’d ever felt—as if a whole cart of fireworks exploded inside of his loins. Maybe it was his fit, large body he'd missed but he thought it might be how he liked this sort of domestic feeling they had going on. Undressing each other and having silly accidents and laughing together about it being awkward on top of insanely turned on—well, wasn't that just how a normal couple would be? Or at least two men who met under normal circumstances.

They weren't even acting, not in the slightest. It wasn't at all forced. This was fully real. The reality they both wanted--especially Seongwoo. Even once in his life that he'd been robbed of and was terrified would never happen. That very moment was playing out before his very eyes.

Daniel was taking another important first again. It was always Daniel that took his firsts. Why was that? Even more so, why did it feel so important?

Every first he took, their bond seemed to grow stronger. Seongwoo liked his company more, cared for and trusted him more, needed him more, wanted to spend more and more days with him and no one else. And that was a dangerous thought. Like playing with fire. Because of their history, their shared misfortunes, and because of their limited amount of time together.

When we go to Korea and separate, will we ever when meet again? Will he keep in touch? Who will he be with a couple months from now? Will he think of me or miss me at all? If he thinks of me, how much if it will be positive and how much uncomfortable and painful because of where we were and what we were forced into doing?

“Don't. That will ruin the mood.”

Daniel paused in the middle of taking off his rumpled hoodie. He looked up in confusion, lips swollen from Seongwoo's earlier fierce attack.

“Sorry?”

Seongwoo shook his head and smiled, amused at his expression. Of course it was a weird thing to hear, that taking off clothes would ruin the mood.

“Nevermind. Keep going. I'll watch you strip this time. Do it slow.”

That was also a first. Usually they stripped at the same time as quick as they could. Seongwoo didn't like people watching him strip either and usually gave them the same courtesy. He had peeked at Daniel though, several times. He wasn't the only one that was muscular, but he was the one with the nicest golden glow, shape, muscle tone, and the biggest. He had a thing for his veiny arms, bulging biceps, and broad, taught, heavily defined shoulders.

Daniel flushed, appearing incredibly self-conscious. That was also a first for Seongwoo to see. The man was usually confident, borderline arrogant especially about his fit body and sex appeal. He appeared almost like a teenager then. Seongwoo crossed his arms and watched pointedly.

Eventually Daniel cleared his throat and moved to his boxers. He hooked his thumbs around and slowly pulled them down his hips, revealing a sharp v from his pelvic boned. Then, curly black hair and patches of pale, thick, fleshy thighs followed.

Seongwoo kept his gaze down and centered intently on each inch as it was revealed. He licked his lip and sucked on it as the other’s saluting, bulging cock came into view, seeing extra excited at the appreciative appraisal. 

Daniel dropped his boxers to the floor, cutely getting tripped up at the ankles and almost falling over, cursing colorfully. Seongwoo chuckled as he caught his elbow and helped him steady. Then, he slid his hand down his arm, middle finger tracing his favorite thick veins all the way to his curved palm.

Daniel held his hand splayed out, warmly inviting the elder to hold it. Looking at each other with excited, youthful, slightly embarrassed expressions, they slowly traveled to the bed. It had never been awkward before after that first week, but somehow it was difficult to decide which position to lay in and where to put their limbs. They cursed and laughed each time they bumped together in places they shouldn't.

Eventually, Daniel took the lead as usual, controlling where Seongwoo should move and stay so that he could move on top of him with less bruising.

“Sorry…” Seongwoo muttered, bashfully biting on his knuckle and looking demurely up at the blonde hovering over him.

“That's fine. It was funny.”

Daniel nestled in snugly across his body, resting on his elbows and grinning softly down at him.

Seongwoo giggled, affecting the other man to as well. “Right? Where did our professional expertise go? Talk about a pair of awkward ducks.”

“I don't know either. I feel like I’ve become a virgin again. I hope I don’t fumble up the important parts or hurt you.”

“Did you want to stop?”

“No, not at all. You?”

“No, to be honest. I've never really felt I wanted to stop with you. Unless I was on the verge of passing out. Not even the first time. You’re the best at making me feel good.”

They smirked at each other, moving a subtle hint closer, warmth and affection filling their eyes, bravely saying something they didn't dare say with their mouths. Just for this one moment, they let their feelings out and swarm around them like a fuzzy aura that blanketed them and made them joyful. All their complicated thoughts and reservations were put on the back burner.

“Honestly, me neither. If I can choose how I die, it would be in mid-orgasm, preferably with you. Since you give me the best.”

Seongwoo continued biting at his fingers with a satisfied, coy grin. “Do I? You surely must be just saying so…”

“I think so. It won't hurt to check again. Hmm, my memory is a bit hazy. I think you hit my head too hard back there.”

Seongwoo snorted, knowing full well he was joking. Still he rubbed his forehead and gave it a finger kiss for healing.

“Better?”

“Wah, totally. Your kisses are magic. My leg doesn't hurt either.”

Seongwoo grinned as he linked his arms around Daniel's neck, hugging him loosely. It felt really nice not to be in a rush for once. They would definitely have been docked huge points for just talking this long in the middle of foreplay. Seongwoo still had his pants on as well. Another large deduction.

”That's good to know. Though I didn't kiss there.”

“Ah, that's right. You kissed somewhere a bit more west, didn't you? Naughty kitten.”

Daniel teased his hyung as he sank down. Seongwoo lifted his head with lips parted eagerly, staring at the blonde’s pouty mouth. Daniel stopped an inch away just to tease him some more since his impatience was amusing. The brunette frown pouted, making him ten times cuter and three times sexier.

“That was… I slipped.”

Daniel snorted and chuckled softly, gazing at the other with an overwhelming amount of warmth and affection that should have been telling for Seongwoo more than anything else.

“You slipped in that direction, mouth first? Come on, hyung. It's okay to come on to me first every once in awhile. It's okay to want someone outside of work or acting. We're hormonal humans. God knows I've had a hundred times I wanted you when we weren't even yet in the same room.”

“Ah, really? Then, if it's okay to want you, is it okay to suggest what we do as well?” Seongwoo asked hesitantly with a demure smile.

“Sure, I know you always let me set the plan but I'm not objected to letting someone else lead while I follow. Puppies are good at following. With tail wagging, see?”

Daniel shook his butt with an impish grin and barked happily, making Seongwoo giggle. He loved that sound and kept up the dog act to hear it some more. Until Seongwoo pulled his hair in reprimand.

“Stop, Niel, that's going to ruin the mood. I was so into it earlier.”

Daniel laughed lightly. “Ah, oops. What can I do to get you back into it?”

“Kiss me…”

“Easy peasy lemon--”

“If you say squeezy, you’re really going to run it. Shut up and kiss me already.”

Seongwoo closed his eyes after he said that, lifted his head up, and threaded his hair, cradling the chuckling blonde close. Daniel rubbed his shoulders and leaned down to peck him softly several lingering times. They turned heads and slipped out their tongues, letting them swivel in the air and run across their dry lips, making them slipperier. Then, it was easier to kiss deeply, heated tongues exploring and running along smooth teeth, lips pressing and sliding pleasantly.

Daniel pulled back his tongue to nip at Seongwoo's sweet, swollen, wet lip as the other caught his breath.

“How are you feeling now?” he asked in a husky, gentle tone.

“That's perfect. Definitely better.”

“So, now that you’re successfully back in the mood. What’s next on your agenda?”

“I want to go down on you.”

“You do?” Daniel was surprised because most of the Subs liked getting it done rather than giving it to the Doms.

Seongwoo disliked the taste and mess, unlike himself. To hear that he wanted to do it was a first.

“Yeah, I do.”

“You're not a fan of it though?” Daniel commented with a raised brow, pecking his stubbly chin.

“But you are. I want to do what you like. Since you let me do something I wanted already.”

Daniel smiled wide, eyes appearing touched and warm. “Aw, so selfless of you. That's a real positive trait, hyung.”

Seongwoo smirked arrogantly. “I know. It's one of my many.”

Daniel pecked him several more times, enjoying the affectionate, fuzzy feeling before they had to get untangled. Then, he got in the position that the other ordered him. Seongwoo wanted him to sit on the edge of the dresser with his splayed legs dangling off the edge. He knelt on top of a pillow set on the wooden floor between the younger’s legs. Daniel rested back with his weight on his palms, enjoying the view immensely.

Seongwoo’s handsome face was knit in concentration as he looked around his genitals and stroked his knees, mapping out a plan of action silently. Then, he started to first move just his hands. Daniel chewed on his lip, humming as his gentle, snowy hands caressed up and down his thighs, squeezing here and there at sensitive areas.

A minute later of that, one hand was replaced with pursed, warm, sweet lips. He pecked and flicked his tongue along his thighs, sucking hard where he knew was sensitive, close to the balls and just above the knee. By the time he switched to the other side, Daniel was writhing into the air, his stomach coiling intensely, his toes curling in the air, fingers digging into the scratched wood of the dresser’s surface, his breath uneven. He held in his moans to encourage Seongwoo to be a bit bolder, silently sending a message like ‘eh, you can do better than that, I'm sure.’

Seongwoo, however, wasn't trying to one up himself or anyone. Rather than taking him up on his challenge, he merely seemed to be enjoying himself like he was playing with a toy he cherished and just remembered he had lying around. It was sweet to see—the man that had once dreaded and feared sex having such fun with it.

 

 

Five minutes later, Daniel was desperately stroking his own, leaking, swollen cock, pulling the other in by his feet at his waist and whining. “Seongwoo, please stop this torture. It's cruel. I'm not used to you going so long without touching it. I haven’t had any action in nearly a week. I'm dying here.”

Seongwoo licked his smirking lips, staring blatantly at his member through dark, sparkling eyes with a satisfied expression. “Seems just like how I wanted. It's like you're a rocket about to boost off.’

“Basically, yeah. I'm a ticking time bomb right now,” Daniel laughed, then groaned as Seongwoo slid closer, pushing off his hand to grip it firmly in his own.

He smirked as he kissed the tip and pumped the base, watching him all the while through dark, larger than life eyes.

“God, that's hotter than ever. You're too handsome for me. It should be illegal. Don't smirk like that or I'll take you right back to that sleeping guard I swear,” the blonde complained huskily, moving his hand to grip Seongwoo's wrist and forcing it to move faster.

Seongwoo obediently increased the pace and pressure, his tongue darting out to lick up the salty, creamy precum. Daniel flung his head back at the contact, cursing and jerking his hips up. Seongwoo followed, attacking him more with his tongue like he was licking a lollipop he was addicted to. When he slipped his mouth over the top, Daniel hissed and pressed down on his head, forcing him with slight pressure further and keeping him there. He held up his hips, relishing in the wet suction and velvety feeling being fully in Seongwoo's mouth.

Seongwoo could take in a lot and he fully he liked that. He could take more than anyone else and he had next to no gag reflex. Which was why back when Seongwoo was super awkward with blow jobs that he’d almost scar his skin with teeth marks, he’d found it sheer heaven.

“Oh yes, I needed this. Thank you, holy fuck that’s amazing…” 

Seongwoo hummed that he was welcome. That made Daniel groan and shiver violently, thrusting once in and out. Seongwoo watched him with a satisfied, playful look. He reached out and stroked his triangular moles, smiling down at the man who was even more gorgeous with his cheeks hallowed out.

“Hmm Seongwoo-yah, you look so good right now.”

Seongwoo pulled off to smile, looking up at him with a sweet, warm express. “So do you.”

He went to kiss the tip but before he could do so, Daniel grabbed his chin and tugged him up. The elder followed like he was charmed, hands resting on his thick thighs, eyes closing with a look of bliss. Daniel kissed him passionate but not rough or hasty. He savored his lips that tasted of his own body, caressing them all over to leave a lasting imprint. He tried to give Seongwoo the sort of kiss that would take his breath away and become unforgettable.

Holding the moaning man's lips captive, he jumped off the desk and tugged him around his curvy, slim waist to the mattress. They knelt down, Seongwoo feeling the blonde’s arms up eagerly, leaving light scratch marks he didn't mind from his uncut nails. Daniel brushed his coffee colored velvety buds with one hand while the other yanked down his boxers.

Seongwoo gasped at being exposed to the chilly air and the sudden onslaught of tingling sensations knotting up his core into a frenzy. Daniel bit and sucked his swollen, juicy lips, listening to his haughty moans, his hand bringing their cocks together under his frim grip. He pumped and rubbed their members together, creating delicious friction and enough heat to start a literal fire.

“Ah, Niel, hell, feels so good, “ Seongwoo gasped out, snowy, slender body shivering, melting weakly against him like a melting snowman.

He was only staying up from the hand at his waist and from his shoulders he clung to. Daniel pressed the dip of his curvy back, moving them in a frantic, rocking motion.

“Wait.”

Daniel was forced to stop, watching curiously and quite a flustered mess as Seongwoo left the bed. He came back with his hands full of lotion from the bathroom. Daniel smiled wickedly. Seongwoo matched the look and snickered.

“Going like that, we were going to get a rash.”

He admitted sheepishly with a crooked grin, “Genius you are and not just with your face. Sorry, I should have thought of that.”

“Daniel, we're equals now that we’re out of there,” Seongwoo commented in a cheerful tone as returned to his knees and began lathering them up carefully. “There's no Dom or Sun anymore. No one needs to take more responsibility in caring of leading. We get to decide everything together. Isn't that something?”

“Yeah, it sure is. You sure are something too, hyung. Something really special. Precious. One of a kind. I like this. I like…”

Daniel’s voice was like molten chocolate, covered huskiness as he gazed at Seongwoo with undisguised wonder and fondness. Seongwoo recalled those times that Daniel had said that he loved him and liked him and wished for a brief moment that they could pretend to be in the act just so that he could hear them again.

Those were words that were only ringing pleasantly in his memories, however. He shouldn’t hope or ask for more than what they had going at this moment—friends that cared for each other and had so much built up attraction and unreleased natural urges they were relieving stress with each other. There was no ‘love’ involved in this and he needed to stop torturing himself by imagining there was.

“How lucky I was to be put in the same facility as you. Even if it took three long years.”

Seongwoo flushed and bit his lip at the flattery. Daniel stared there, strongly tempted and having no real reason not to act on his impulses. His hand joined Seongwoo's in rubbing their slippery, silky cocks together, rocking his hips in a slow circle as his thumb tugged his lip free. He brushed it, admiring the shape and texture for a full minute. Then, he leaned in, dipping out his tongue to taste it. It was silky and tasted of himself and something fruity. He nipped it and pulled it fully into his mouth to suck more.

Seongwoo was mewling now, holding Daniel's hips and bucking with his own, begging him to increase the friction and pace. Daniel gently pushed him to the bed, giving him more sensual, romantic kisses as he chanted those words he had once been able to say so honestly and now could only say in his head. ‘I love you, Seongwoo, oh, do I love you.’

Their legs tangled and arms wrapped around each other tightly as they grinded their wet fronts together, filling the room with squelching sounds. Daniel pulled off to kiss down his chest, pulling those slender legs off of him and up to his sides. Seongwoo gripped the pillow, closed his eyes tight, and cursed when he realized what the younger was up to. Daniel dived down, taking a furry ball into his mouth and sucking lightly as his other’s wet fingers caressed his center.

Seongwoo cried out and wiggled his feet, breath already ragged from excitement. His center was opening like a blooming rose calling to be pollinated. Daniel—his bee—sank a finger deep inside and then when he felt there was room, another more. He twisted and flicked his two fingers around the hot, tight walls gripping his skin.

Seongwoo wiggled, head thrashing, whimpering and panting.

“Oh god, there, yes! Wait, I don't want to come alone. Together. Please. Take me now.”

Daniel loved the sounds of the brunette’s begging and even more the desperation within his tone and the way his name sounded in that raspy, musical voice. When he was sure Seongwoo was ready, he came up and entered him slow, laying over his slender, milky body, and holding him close.

Today they were going to make love for real as two men who liked each other were meant to. He didn't need any tricks or strategies. He wasn't thinking of any points or looking at cameras for if they had a sensual, clearly visible angle. His only focus this time truly was the attractive man in his arms that wanted his attention. His only desire was to please him. There were no ulterior motives and only one person to impress. The only rules were the ones that they'd mapped out from their previous sessions, those related to limits.

Daniel thought carefully of what Seongwoo liked and what he didn't, what he couldn't handle especially. He was not the least bit rough but he refused to be boring. He made love to Seongwoo in a passionate, intimate, extremely raw way.

They hardly said much and they weren't exceptionally loud. That was all for show. They learned when two people were really into each other and the moment, the pleasure was so overwhelming they could hardly think or speak. They whispered, gasped, and moaned each other's names, sometimes exclaiming how great it felt or how close they were so they could pause at the brink to let the amazing experience last longer.

Daniel used the expert control he had to keep going for hours until Seongwoo was satisfied and exhausted. By that time, they were covered in layers of musky, salty sweat, their nerves shot, their limbs like overcooked, flimsy noodles they could barely control. Still, they pressed on with some sort of hidden inner strength of sheer will.

Daniel squeezed their linked fingers together and continued to snap his hips at a frantic pace, biting his cheek to help him hold off in order to give Seongwoo his wish. Seongwoo loosely clung to him with his legs, ankles crossed behind his back. Their cheeks were flush and scalding pressed together, their mouths parched, lips swollen and chapped, voices hoarse from moaning, breathing continuously erratic and shallow, their hearts pounding like hail against each other’s chests.

“Now!”

“Thank god.”

“Ah, hmm, Daniel, so good. Daniel…”

“Yes, it’s heavenly for me too. Seongwoo, oh Seongwoo…”

They continued to weakly moan each other’s names and kiss any patch of wet, raw skin they could find until they rode out their long-lasting tsunami of pleasure, the tingles and heat spreading to every fiber of their body for twice as long as they’d ever experienced before. They could without a doubt say that it was officially the best—and longest--session they’d ever had in their life and it wasn’t even wild.

 

 

The usual post-sex cuddles happened, of course, lasting even longer than usual because that was the first time they’d ever had hour long sessions without any sort of break.

Seongwoo was the first to attempt to move away to go to the bathroom and get cleaned up, embarrassed and a bit uncomfortable by his nakedness in the chilly room. Daniel, however, wouldn’t let him go. Half asleep, he kept his eyes closed and frowned, stubbornly tightening his arms around his back and tugging the lithe man closer.

Seongwoo giggled and attempted to wiggle out another direction. Daniel blocked him that way as well by locking his legs together with his strong, large feet. Seongwoo was no longer a free dove, but this was the only time that he didn’t mind being caged because this particular cage was cozy and he felt rather safe and protected there.

He giggled some more as he nestled in, hugging the massive cute puppy around his broad back instead of another half-assed escape attempt, kissing his solid furnace of a chest.

Ten to twenty minutes later (they weren’t really checking on time anymore because they had grown sick of habitually looking at clocks and timers the past year), they were comfortable and calmed down enough to start talking. They might have slept but as usual when they were together, they suddenly had a million things on their mind. Though both were much more careful about what to say and how to broach it these days.

“That was crazy, huh?”

“I’ll say. Crazy is the saner way of putting it.”

“Um, do you think we should talk about it?”

“I don’t know. Should we?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

“I think what you think. I want what you want. You choose, hyung. What did you want that to be? How do you want to feel about it?”

“Um, I don’t know. I’ve never had sex before I started working at the facility, honestly. I don’t know what it’s like to have fully consensual sex.”

“Ah, that’s right.  You were a nerdy virgin when you came here.”

“Don’t tease me. I’m lucky I was a virgin.”

“Yes, you were. And I was lucky too. Since I got to pop your cherry.”

The Doms previously had been breaking Seongwoo in without penetration. No one had informed Daniel of that and for some reason Seongwoo hadn’t stopped him. He had ended up taking Seongwoo’s virginity and not even knowing it until after their first session.

Seongwoo had told him that it had merely felt like the right person and the right time. That he was going to have to lose it that week in accordance to Swing rules and so he’d decided that Daniel was the best candidate.

Seongwoo turned sulky, flashing a frown at the blonde. “Don’t discuss food now, Daniel. I’ll get hungry and we should talk.”

“Okay, I’m willing to talk. Let’s talk about feelings. How did you feel about that?” Daniel suggested.

Seongwoo chewed on his lip, glancing up nervously. Daniel looked down at him and smiled, amused when Seongwoo ducked down, avoiding his eyes and flushing deeply.

“I liked it a lot. That was the best sex I’ve ever had. It felt real. It felt fulfilling and satisfying. Intimate, enjoyable, naughty. I feel totally exposed now, not just in body you know. Somehow even more so than when there were cameras on us.”

“Hmm, I understand that feeling perfectly. You opened yourself up in a way you never have before. And you put your full trust in me and let yourself be truly wild. How do you feel about that? Being a free bird and acting on your own desires with no inhibition?”

Seongwoo hummed and then admitted after some consideration, “Well…I think it’s a good thing.”

“Hmm. I think so as well. Would you like to do it again?”

“Honestly? Yes. Sometime.” He paused to chew on his lip, trying not to smile because it was a serious moment but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from thinking about the act they’d just had. “But not now. It’s risky. We shouldn’t let the other guys know. We have a lot to do and focus on in the near future. We should save our energy. Stay alert. Not make ourselves more exhausted.”

“So, you want to keep this a secret? And let it stay as a one-time thing?” Daniel stuffed down his disappointment, ensuring that he sounded nonchalant. Seongwoo still had some sort of inkling that Daniel didn’t fully agree with his answer.

“Yes, maybe that’s best. I mean, it’s not like sex between two men means anything special. Even if we’re friends. That happens to lots of people. Think of it rationally. We had regular satisfaction for months and now suddenly we’re cold turkey. We’ve built up stress and been through some shit. Earlier you had a fight and almost died. I thought you had died and freaked out. That adrenaline wasn’t doing good for our hormones. It was a chain reaction. Just science. Completely explainable.”

“Right, I guess when you put it that way, it’s true. There are several rational reasons why this crazy incident happened. Rooming together, sleeping in the same bed. Both attracted to each other. We could basically be addicted to sex. That happens when you’re stuck in this sort of industry. It was natural this happened once.”

“Exactly. But it shouldn’t happen tomorrow or the day after at least.”

“Okay, I agree with that. It isn’t good for the mission. We should keep alert and strong.”

They were silent for a minute. They could sense the awkwardness returning which they dreaded. Which prompted Seongwoo to say, “Let’s not talk about it then?”

Daniel’s response was nonchalant, “Sure, if you don’t want to, then I won’t bring it up. We can talk about it when you bring it up first. If you want to, whenever you’re ready.”

Seongwoo smiled, tempted to kiss his skin with affection. “Thanks, I appreciate that. You’re really sweet.”

Daniel smiled at him warmly, scrunching up his nose. “I know that. And you’re welcome.”

They ended on a surprisingly positive note considering that it was a conversation they feared having, not discussing the most important thing. They might not be taking about what happened but they surely weren’t going to forget it overnight.

They continued to cuddle naked for much longer than they ever had, singing random songs and playing word games. Simply existing in the happy bubble left from their fantastic sex, both reluctant to exit of their own free will.

They fell asleep dressed again, turned back away from each other on opposite sides, wondering how they were supposed to act tomorrow and what this would change between them as friends. Now that a locked, never been entered door in their hearts had burst wide open and that very friend was peeking their head inside. Some space might exist between the freed dove physically that night but the thin wall that had existed before was heavily cracked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't have much to say here. It's a long chapter with a lot to sort through and a lot that happened. At least there's not really any angst? You don't have to worry about that for awhile at least. Hope you liked the fluff, action, and smut scenes you got ^^ The dumb n dumber couple are gradually growing closer, realizing their feelings, and becoming more and more brave about expressing it.
> 
> Let me hear your thoughts below. We've just got three chapters left now~ Since I'm working on other things as well, the next update will be a full week later at least instead of five days so I can focus on my new job and those other projects as well. While waiting, you can check out my social media twitter au and my greek gods au (both in my story thread on Twitter @heartykeykeke1
> 
> See you soon. Have a good week and pray for positive updates about our poor, sweet, too loyal and kind for his own good Niellie. Also hype all the others, plus Ong! Because they have a lot going on too and we shouldn't ignore them just because we're anxious and miss another. 
> 
> Please please please don't stay silent and tell me what you think even if it's just two words~ It gives authors so much encouragement. I don't have time to reply right now (promise I will eventually) but I seriously read everything and it makes me smile and want to hurry up with the updates/spend more time making the chapter better.
> 
> <3 Raina


	9. The Voyage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last part of the escape mission is here, the boat trip across the Yellow Sea. Daniel reunites with Guanlin. Things are pretty uneventful, considering the rest of the trip. Is it true peace? Or is the calm before the storm? At least ongniel are getting closer and have some time together.

Seongwoo and Daniel were in the tiny bathroom, washing their faces. It was the morning after the incident they had agreed not to speak of. Scrubbing frantically with wet hands, they ended up bumping elbows. They moved in opposite directions, muttering an apology. They tried to look at anywhere but at each other as they finished up and dried with a towel.

Seongwoo put out his hand, asking for the towel. Daniel stammered as he thanked him and passed it over, both jerking their hands away as their fingers brushed around the fabric.

The entire morning continued like that. It was as if the awkwardness they hadn’t felt yesterday hit them three times as hard today.

Whenever they were forced to talk to each other, it was short and strained. A second of eye contact or an accidental brush of skin made them a bashful, fumbling mess and led to putting an unusual amount of distance between them. It was much worse even than the first time they’d been together for work’s sake, getting a bit lost in the sensations that they almost forgot they were being filmed.

They both regretted not having the talk the night before and hoped this strange feeling would pass after a day. As nice as it had been to relieve their stress yesterday, it wasn’t worth their friendship turning to shambles like this.

The stressed pair forced themselves to seem normal when they left the apartment, not wanting to bring discord to the team and hoping that if they acted normal, then things would return that way.

Daniel realized as they waited for the other couple to come out that Seongwoo was standing a suspicious distance away from him. He gulped and clenched his fists inside his jacket pockets as he mustered up his courage and stepped sideways towards him. Seongwoo was just as jerky as ever, ears turning red and eyes shifting anxiously at him. Daniel really didn’t like how his body acted like the leaning tower of Pisa, subtly angling away from him as if he infected the air.

His hands itched to grab his arm and right him, possibly pull him close. He could still vividly recall the feel and scent of Seongwoo on him. He hadn’t even wanted to wash up this morning because he hadn’t wanted wipe off the smell of their first consensual intimacy. He was certainly whipped for Seongwoo after they’d made love and he realized that he was indeed crushing on the other something fierce. However, he couldn’t do anything about it right then.

He needed to respect Seongwoo’s wishes to pretend like it hadn’t happened and fully focus their time and energy on the mission at hand, denying and stuffing down the lingering feelings and attraction. They still had a ways to go and there were any number of things that could go wrong that put everyone’s lives at risk. He didn’t want to add to that.

Seongwoo’s logic got to him as they’d talked about it, reminding Daniel of his own earlier thoughts before they’d ended up sharing a room together. It wasn’t the time to think about where the line was between friendships and crushing. It certainly wasn’t the time to be watering a blossoming romance. There wasn’t any point in discussing a future in Korea when it wasn’t even a guarantee that they could arrive their safely.

For the first time, he felt a smidgen of what Seongwoo was frequently battling with and tried to stamp it down with his reserve of sunshine-like positivity. Depression was a nasty foe but Daniel was mentally sound and wasn’t going to let it get to him.

He decided he would focus on the tasks of the day and reassure himself that over time the awkwardness would fade between them. Maybe Seongwoo would actually forget about it as he said they should do (though he knew HE never would). Maybe by some miracle, Seongwoo would start crushing on him back through the rest of the mission and once they were safely in Korea and able to relax and think of something else besides survival, they could have a café or food date. They could then have a much needed serious, heart-to-heart talk about all that had ever transpired between them and just how to define their messy relationship. Those were the positive thoughts he decided to focus his remaining energy on.

Seongwoo glanced at Daniel with a raised brow as the blonde snickered to himself, suddenly seeming much brighter. Seongwoo wanted to ask what was funny and request he telepathically send some of those good vibes because he could use it then.

Somehow even just seeing the puppy-like man with his usual breezy, brilliant smile back made him softly grin and relax in turn. He straightened up, telling himself that he needed to stop seeming so stiff and awkward with his friend just because they’d been consensually intimate last night.

Daniel was still Daniel. He didn’t hate him. He cared about him, respected him, and liked him a lot—as a person. He didn’t deserve to be given the cold-shoulder and Seongwoo was long-past those times when he had felt like it was wrong to be physical with a fellow employee outside of broadcast time.

Once he gave himself a solid scolding, the discomfort he felt slightly faded. Daniel elbowed him playfully and they both chuckled, glancing over at each other here and there, ears flaming with their embarrassment at how ridiculous they’d acted this morning and the craziness of last night. Seriously a lot had happened and they could hardly believe it still.

The door burst open and the couple inside caught them red-handed smiling and giggling at each other. They wore matching cat that ate the canary grins.

“Seems you two had a fun night.”

“Good to see you both happy. You suit each other well.”

They glanced at each other and then looked away with poker faces, clearing their throats.

“What do you mean? There’s nothing new with us. We’re just friends, doing as we usually do,” Seongwoo insisted coolly.

“Right, just friends,” Daniel parroted, pinching his stomach where it flipped in a queasy manner.

“Hmm, the sounds I heard last night weren’t those of just friends…” Jaehwan snickered, scanning their expressions and interactions with hawk eyes.

Minhyun wore a smug smile like he knew everything as if he had the place bugged. Had the two forgotten how thin the walls were? They hadn’t exactly been trying to be quiet.

“Ah, we slept early. I didn’t hear anything. Did you, Daniel?” Seongwoo proved himself as the greatest actor of them all. Really, he should get a Grammy award for this performance.

Daniel merely followed his lead despite wanting to seriously face palm himself, the only major tells being that his voice was slightly higher-pitched than normal and that his ears and neck were heated.

“No, I didn’t. Maybe you heard something from downstairs.”

The couple had no choice but to drop the subject after that, seeing as Seongwoo and Daniel clearly didn’t want to let them in on the details of what had transpired between them probably because they weren’t dating. Things unfortunately couldn’t be as easy as with those other two.

Then again, they’d never had to fool around for the sake of survival. What could they really understand about the complexities they were dealing with here? Neither of the boys wanted to open up to the other two, at least not in a group setting.

Daniel could ask Minhyun since he was a fellow sinner but at the same time, he still harbored some reluctance to be close to him since he was jealous of his past with Seongwoo, especially seeing how close they were. It wasn’t as bad as he had expected to see but it was still enough to tempt him to step between them whenever he saw them chatting, casually touching, or exchanging private smiles or looks.

“Anyway, are you guys okay with the jobs that you did yesterday? Is there anyone that wishes to switch?” Daniel forced his tone into a brisk, business manner.

The couple seemed satisfied continuing what they had been doing. He turned to Seongwoo pointedly.

“What about you, hyung?”

“Me? You want me to switch with you then? No thanks. I absolutely hate numbers.”

“But…what about the designer?”

“What about him?” Seongwoo appeared completely clueless.

Daniel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He waved off the others to go get started on their jobs, then started down the stairs to take Seongwoo to the lobby. Seongwoo followed behind, pressing him to say what was on his mind about the designer, thinking that he’d found something out that he wasn’t saying out of protection.

 

 

“Is he a murderer? Is that it? Is he hiding some cut-up bodies inside the office closet? Or is he a druggie? You think he’s shooting up when I’m not looking?” the brunette commented anxiously, getting himself worked up into a near fever.

Daniel stopped at the bottom of the stairs to wait for him to join. Then he forced himself to smile brightly.

“It’s nothing like that. Stop freaking yourself out. He’s just into you is all.”

Seongwoo looked down, scratching at his neck. “Oh.”

Daniel tugged at his arm gently to keep on walking or they’d be late for their shift. Seongwoo obediently matched his spacious strides.

“What should I do about it?” The brunette bit at his fingers, kitten eyes appearing nervous as they glanced at him for advice—a familiar event.

Daniel continued to smile and portray calm, inwardly freaking out at how cute he was in that moment and how he really didn’t want to separate from him even a few hours. “You don’t need to do anything. Just ignore any hints and shy away from all advances. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Seongwoo appeared relieved and then curious. “What are you going to do?”

Daniel merely smirked.

“You’ll see. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. Go on in. Have a good day, hyung. I’ll be checking from the second floor so just stay by the window. If he tries anything, I’ll come kick his ass.”

Seongwoo turned sulky and slightly offended. “Hey, don’t act like I can’t handle an interested man. I’ve also had a lot of service jobs with some pushy, grabby Chinese men. I know how to handle myself. Like I keep saying, I’m not a princess just because I’m on the pretty side.”

Daniel opened the door and pushed him inside with a smirk. “Oh, really now? If so, then why were you looking at me earlier like you needed me to be your knight fighting off some hideous troll trying to eat you?”

Seongwoo scowled and flicked him off. Daniel chuckled, watching him go with a mix of amusement and reluctance. He was as shapely and tempting as ever.

Dammit, couldn’t he have brought baggy pants instead of his usual slim-fits? Also, that baggy, light blue sweater showed too much of his neck and the sweater paws were adorable. He’d left his hair down today, messy, soft, and slightly damp.

Seongwoo looked like an entire dessert and here Daniel was sending him into a starving lion’s den. This didn’t sit well with him at all, especially when an irrational part of him thought of Seongwoo as his man, now that he’d let himself be taken once willingly.

Daniel forced a smile and spoke to the man in his broken Chinese. He said that he needed to talk to him about something important alone. The man glanced at Seongwoo’s backside with a wolfish grin a couple times on his way over. This weasel’s fucking nerve.

“What can I do for you?”

The door clicked shut, ensuring that Seongwoo wouldn’t see anything that Daniel was about to do to his employer. Daniel put his hand on the guy’s shoulder, making a show of just how much he towered over the guy. He flexed and squeezed tight to show that he wasn’t just big for no reason he was strong as an ox. His smile dropped and he fiercely glared at the designer who shrank, taken aback and scared.

“You can do one very important thing for me. Don’t look at my boyfriend like that ever again. Don’t lay a hand on him. Don’t even have any inappropriate thoughts about him. Because I’ll sense if you do and if I catch it, then I’ll be sure to rip out your fucking throat. Got it?”

“Y-yes. I got it. Clear. Your boyfriend is off-limits. Not that I was really…”

Daniel hissed and dug his fingers hard into the sensitive muscle near his neck. The man whimpered and caved, eyes glistening from the pain he was trying to ignore.

“Okay, so I was thinking something. I didn’t commit a crime, hardly laid a hand on him. I didn’t know that he was serious about someone. That’s my fault. I will be careful from now on. Can you relax and be cool now?”

“Good.” Daniel stepped back and released him, relaxing his shoulders and showing a brilliant, kind smile. “I’m glad that we’ve cleared up our little misunderstanding before it became a big issue. Have a good day, sir.”

“Y-you too.”

Daniel chuckled with a smug grin as the wimpy designer resembled a frightened mouse scampering into a hole.

Later on, Seongwoo asked Daniel during dinner time what he had done that caused the designer to become a whole different person and hardly even talk to him. Daniel simply said they had a talk about territory and boundaries. Seongwoo’s response to that was a blank look and scratches at his nape.

 

 

A series of uneventful hours passed by in the blink of an eye and then it was D-day. The group left the shady hotel they’d surely not miss early in the morning at the crack of dawn with their fake IDs, tickets, and luggage in hand. They took a bus to a private harbor in the Northeast where Guanlin was waiting for them at the docks, sleeping in turns because who knew when they’d meet trouble.

Daniel’s brother wasn’t hard to miss according to Daniel’s description. Guanlin indeed was as tall as a giraffe and as handsome as an actor. He also happened to be incredibly well-dressed, especially in comparison to the run-aways and the nearly poor, scruffy boatmen surrounding him.

He greeted them with a cute, gummy smile that made him appear much more his actual age which was several years younger than his half-brother, shaking their hands firmly and bowing with the politeness of someone raised well.

Daniel was busy introducing them and then being extra friendly with the middle-aged, scruffy boat men that looked like they’d been lost at sea for decades and hardly made it to a barber shop or a skin clinic. They were the roughest, toughest men he’d ever seen, possibly surpassing him in strength and stamina despite their huge age gap.

Daniel wasn’t sure how he felt about that. If they were to get on his bad side, it could be hard for the five of them to take on those three. If they let their guard down at night, the men could easily overpower them and tie them up, or worse, throw them overboard. Who knew, probably Swing had put out a reward for capturing them?

It was a good thing that they’d taken precautions as Guanlin said, though Daniel sort of regretted not pressing Woojin and Jihoon to come with them as well (they hadn’t wanted to go with a larger group because they figure the chances of getting caught were higher then, so they had vied to escape on their own at a later time).

“Hyung!” Guanlin was radiating with joy and affection, holding his long arms wide open.

Daniel paused in getting in the good graces of the intimidating boatmen with the best of his fail Chinese. He looked at his half-brother with a loving, huge grin that made his chocolate almond eyes disappear into his round, fluffy face.

“Lin-Lin~! Lai Guanlin! God, you’re so damn big now! And freaking handsome. Just look at you!”

Daniel rushed with his arms out as well. They collided with thundering footsteps, embracing tight like a pair of fighting boas, Seongwoo thinking with slight concern but mostly amusement that they should barely be able to breath hugging like that. The rest of the team including him observed the reunion with soft smiles, genuinely happy for the pair.

“Same to you, hyung. You’re even stronger, bigger, and manlier. You must have been through a lot. Thank you for trusting me and getting out of there safely.”

“No, thank you more for your genius plans and all your help. I merely did as you said.”

“I knew you could do it, hyung. Only you could pull all this off. It’s because your game and exercise obsessions. And the fact you’ve always been a fighter.”

“It’s so good to see you, hyung. I’ve missed you.”

“It’s greater to see you and I’ve missed you way more, little bro.”

Daniel laughed joyously, a resounding sound that shook and warmed the crisp air. Seongwoo bit his lip as he chuckled to himself, thinking that Daniel really must not have changed much since he was a teenager and somehow liking that. He felt comforted that the Daniel he knew was the real Daniel. That he had trusted the right sort of person. Daniel really was too honest for his own good.

The reunion was abruptly interrupted and postponed for their trip across the ocean because the boatmen asked to confirm their IDs. The boys lined up nervously with their fake papers that said they were under Guanlin’s supervision and were his various advisors while he traveled different cities for a school project.

They tried not to show how anxious they were, putting on expressions that suggested they had nothing to hide or worry over. Jaehwan, as it turned out, was surprisingly good at acting as well as practically fluent in Chinese as if he had been hiding it earlier. He was even comfortable enough to joke around with the boatmen and get on their good side by promising some beef jerky he had from Hong Kong’s most famous store.

Guanlin stood next to them, chattering in Chinese about himself and his travels and various other casual topics. His tone was steady and cheerful. The boatman seemed to find him charming and easy to talk to, surprised by his ability to speak three different languages fluently and travel on his own at such a young age.

Guanlin’s tactics worked splendidly. The boatmen were so distracted with entertaining conversation and letting out boisterous, hoarse laughter that they barely scanned the IDs. It was a cinch to get on the boat--the first thing in their plan that had been really.

 

 

Within an hour, they were seated on benches below docks with blankets over their laps and warm coffee from a thermos in their hands in the midst of rocking, indigo waves. They calmly observed seagulls soaring and diving in the ocean through the splattered, foggy windows, Seongwoo between Daniel and Minhyun, Jaehwan on the opposite end. Guanlin could be heard helping and chatting with the boatmen on the upper decks, further putting in his greatest efforts to assure a cordial relationship amongst them for the next four to five days.

“How are you feeling?” Minhyun asked his boyfriend in concern, rubbing his thigh over the blanket.

Jaehwan gave a weak smile. “The medicine’s working already. It’s a good thing that Daniel thought to buy these. I forgot that I’ve never been on a boat in the ocean. The rocking is a lot more intense than a lake or river.”

The two boys on the left nodded. The boat was continuously shifting, tilting, and lurching as if they were on some sort of busted roller coaster. Daniel was from Busan, a coastal town in Korea. He loved the water and had experience with all sorts of activities and sports related to it. He might not deal well with seafood because he was allergic, but he had no issues with water.

Seongwoo had said he was a weak swimmer but he had at least been on cruises with his family every summer so he was sure that he wouldn’t get seasick. Minhyun just naturally seemed to have no flaws for no apparent reason, much to Daniel’s utter annoyance.

“Seongwoo, how about you? You don’t feel queasy at all?”

Daniel glanced that way, barely stopping himself from glaring at the man resembling a fox. He didn’t need to ask Seongwoo that. Daniel already asked him that several times now. Why was he insisting on battling who was Seongwoo’s best friend?

“Really, I’m just fine.”

“Hmm, okay. If you feel ill at all, just say so. The medicine takes a while to kick in. You have a weak stomach too. You should probably stop, that’s your third cup.”

“Ah, right.”

Seongwoo glanced down at the swirling, steaming brown liquid with fondness. He really did love his coffee, Daniel knew. He liked the taste and found it comforting.

Who was Minhyun to act like his mother and take it away? Why did Seongwoo listen to him so well?

Seongwoo would have told him to shut up if he said something like that, he was sure. Because he hated appearing weak and being bossed around. Still, Daniel did as Seongwoo wanted, taking the cup and drinking it himself since his stomach was supposedly stronger and he could drink a lot without having to go the bathroom frequently.

“Cold?” “Chilly?” both Minhyun and Daniel asked at the same time as Seongwoo wrung his hands together and shivered.

Seongwoo smiled at both of them with a cute, bashful look, then stuffed his hands under the blanket. “Just had a bit of a chill. I’m not going to freeze. Stop worrying like a bunch of uncles,” he chided softly, though still seeming appreciative of their care and amused by how they’d said the same thing at the same time.

Jaehwan whispered something to Minhyun and they snickered. Daniel glared that direction, feeling like it was directed at him. Seeing the lumps from them holding hands under the blanket later gave him an idea. He would have to be subtle about it, but he wanted to do something kind and caring for Seongwoo since he’d admitted to being cold, even if he knew he really shouldn’t because of their previous incident.

He shifted his hand under the blanket to between their thighs, then he poked Seongwoo’s leg with his knuckle, whispering “Here, warm up.”

Seongwoo glanced down and heated, shaking his head. Daniel poked him some more incessantly. Seongwoo bit his lip and eventually gave in, rolling his eyes. His hand slightly shook as it slowly moved over his leg to the crack between them, resting on top of Daniel’s hot, open palm. Daniel closed his fingers around Seongwoo’s slender, cool hands curled up in a fist, massaging and rubbing so the heat would transfer faster.

He glanced over a minute later with a crooked, smug grin. “Better?” he mouthed when he caught Seongwoo casting a sideways glance at him, still chewing on his lip.

He looked out the window as soon as their eyes contacted, appearing uncomfortable and shy. His poker face had splashes of pink that Daniel grew satisfied to see.

With a subtle nod and brush of their thumbs together in confirmation, Daniel’s chest swelled with pride. He felt like he’d been confirmed as the better friend finally. Before he might have sunk deep into thought questioning why that was important, but now he knew it well. He wanted to be more important to Seongwoo than Minhyun was and he also wanted to be acknowledged at being better at taking care of his needs.

Daniel continued to squeeze Seongwoo’s hand, refusing to let him take it away the next two hours they sat underboard watching the crashing waves, birds, and passing boats here and there. It pleased him that for the moment Seongwoo wasn’t jerking away as he had been earlier when they accidentally brushed. They might appear mostly normal to others but honestly things weren’t.

Seongwoo since their incident was more conscious of him than ever, easily affected by eye contact or skin contact despite he was clearly fighting with himself not to be or at least not to be so obvious about it. Daniel of course caught on to it. He’d been observing Seongwoo closely for a year, so he knew him well enough, even beyond his excellent acting skills most of the time.

Seongwoo was acting around him, often looking at him and pretending that he wasn’t, trying to avoid touching him even more than before. He wasn’t sure exactly what the reason was, but it certainly had to deal with their accident.

Daniel did his best to act as he always had before then, but the knowledge that he finally had a genuine crush on someone and that he was free to pursue it because Seongwoo felt something for him and being frequently around him made him act slightly differently. Recently, he’d found himself even more openly staring with a goofy smile on his face, itching to touch him in subtle, intimate, sort of possessive ways like brushing his hair or touching the small of his back or taking him by the wrist when going places.

He started doing more of these little caring actions as well. Surely Seongwoo would have noticed the difference because he was a sharp person. He had likely noticed that and guessed that Daniel had some sort of unique feelings for him beyond just attraction. He didn’t know if the change in Seongwoo was because of that or how to interpret it, but he was feeling hopeful.

As he brushed Seongwoo’s long, silky fingers with his own and blankly stared at the rolling waves, he sunk into thought about the possibilities of Seongwoo liking him back and wanting to progress their relationship (even though he knew that he should not be focusing on anything but the next steps of the mission and staying alert for any potential risks to their safety).

 

 

Later on that afternoon, the crew and the team were all out on the front of the boat with hats, sunglasses, sun creamed skin and fishing poles with fresh wiggling worms on hooks. The clothes were extra protection in case any of Swing staff happened to be searching the waters for them which Guanlin said was unlikely but that he wouldn’t take any risks with their survival, especially that of his older brother. The crew had rations but it seemed they preferred to have fresh fish to feast on. They were in high spirits and appeared to want to serve them some sort of welcoming party that night.

“I guess they must be pretty lonely fellows. Not that many people travel by boat these days so it’s usually just them. I heard that most of their family left them since their job is unstable and they’re hardly ever at home.”

“Hmm, that’s a different sort of sad than what we’ve been through, isn’t it? Alone in this windy, chilly weather with only seagulls and fish and your friends for company. Surrounded by vast amounts of unpredictable water that you can’t drink or play in. Abandoned by people that love you because they don’t understand that the feeling of freedom and relaxation the sea gives you.”

Daniel laughed, bumping Seongwoo with his elbow. The man stopped staring off with a melancholy feel, turning to him with a sheepish, embarrassed expression instead on his pretty, half covered face.

“You sounded like a suicidal poet there. Careful.”

“I’m not anymore,” Seongwoo insisted with an endearing giggle. “Thanks to some annoyingly cheerful puppy. The sea just seems beautiful but at the same time dark and lonely and sad somehow. I can’t explain it. It gets me a bit moody.”

“Then don’t look at it so much. We’ve been looking at it for hours. Look at the clear, blue sky and the sun instead. No trees or buildings or guards or prisoners in sight. That should make you naturally cheerful as it’s something you could barely even dream of it had been so long since you’d seen it.”

“Eh, don’t exaggerate. I saw the blue sky and sun nearly every day,” Seongwoo insisted with a snort, bumping him back.

Daniel almost toppled over since at that time the boat tilted. He grabbed his fishing pole before it slid down the edge of the boat and crashed to the wooden floor. Seongwoo’s hand he found was linked through his elbow, tugging him upright with a worried, apologetic look.

Daniel bit back a teasing remark about how Seongwoo was trying to kill him after all he’d done to get him out of there. He decided to continue on with their previous conversation, not wanting Seongwoo to feel bad because it wasn’t really his fault but that of the forever tilting, rocking boat.

Their arms stayed linked several moments longer than they should.

“Yeah, but you saw them always blocked with the blinds. Like peeking through cell bars.”

Seongwoo bit his lip and looked down as he took his hand away from Daniel’s arm. “True. Hmm, I guess it is more beautiful now when you put it that way. A different perspective.”

“Right, a freer one. Because we’re free men now.”

“I like that word, a lot. Freedom. Being free. It’s a word I thought and dreamed about a lot. That I was a bird breaking out of a cage and flying across the pearl blue sky doing whatever I wanted, heading home.”

Daniel reached out to fix the scarf that the wind blew askew. Seongwoo had his arms out and eyes closed as if he were flying or basking in the sun, Daniel couldn’t be sure of which. Daniel tied the scarf tighter and pulled it up so it covered his jaw and mouth again to keep him warmer. He was worried with how chilly and windy it was that Seongwoo was surely going to catch a cold.

Seongwoo dropped his arms back to the top of the boat’s rim, eyes grateful and kind, sparkling gems in the golden beams lighting up his face. Not that he needed any sort of lighting to make him beautiful, but the added effect made him look like a celestial angel.

Daniel couldn’t help but smile as he stared at him for several moments, awed by how much more handsome he was outside in natural lighting.

I bet if I had bumped into him on the boardwalks of Haeundae four years ago I would have fallen in love at first sight, he thought. God just doesn’t make masterpieces like Ong Seongwoo anymore. He must be a one of a kind, angel reincarnated.

Seongwoo brushed at some parts of his face, clearly uncomfortable with his staring.

“What? Is there something on my face?” he grumbled.

Daniel shook his head, looking out at the sea and nervously scratching his neck, ears flushing in embarrassment at getting caught being so blatantly obvious.

“Just kim. Chalsaeng-kim.” (Daniel making a joke here very popular in Korean that can’t be translated well in English but kim is a food and chalsaen-kim means handsomeness)

The lame joked did just as he had planned—broke the ice and changed-up the awkward atmosphere he’d stupidly created. Seongwoo snorted and insulted him. After that, they returned to their fishing competition, pointing out shapes they could see in the clouds to relieve their boredom.

 

 

The group cooked the fish they caught on the deck on a gas-powered grill and ate baked beans and peas from a can the boatmen had on reserve. Minhyun, Daniel, and Seongwoo remained quiet for the most part, listening to the Jaehwan and Guanlin chat with the boatmen. Daniel understood enough that it was all about harbor and sea life related stories.

He felt just as Seongwoo had said earlier, that these men were quite lonely and pitiful. It certainly wasn’t a life that he wanted to lead later on. At least he had a couple potential career paths he could check off his list.

Seongwoo shivered. Daniel noticed and instantly put his jacket over him, making the other smile sheepishly with a grateful glance. Daniel gave him some of the fish that he’d just deboned because Seongwoo wasn’t so skillful at it. The brunette murmured thanks, probably flushing but it was impossible to tell with the dim lighting in the shadows of the covered part of the dock they were at the moment, sitting at a rope-bound and taped down, busted wooden table.

They both smiled at each other in a sort of amused, secretive way as they slowly nibbled at the pieces of fish they picked up with disposable chopsticks—the sounds of the Chinese words fading as they became lost in their own world. The boat continued to rock but it was a sway that was rather calming and romantic. If only their company were different, like non-existent, for example.

“Those two look awfully familiar. I feel like I’ve seen their faces somewhere. Hmm, where do I know you from…”

Daniel turned abruptly at the sentence that sharply pricked his ears, snapping him out of his ‘Seongwoo is so beautiful, I really wish I could kiss those bow lips right now’ revelry. That was not at all a good sound. He tried to appear calm and smile slightly at the eldest man that had a nasty scar over his eye that had likely come from a fish hook or possibly a bottle or knife in some sort of brawl.

He instantly didn’t like the way that the slightly tipsy man was looking at Seongwoo with an almost hungry smirk. It was reminiscent of many creeps that they’d both come across in the service industry when they’d had to personally serve and deal with senior Chinese executives who had a kink for young Korean men. That one look set Daniel on edge instantly, making him wish to adjust his body so that he protectively shielded Seongwoo.

“You might have. We’ve been on TV a couple times. That’s how Guanlin knows of us,” Daniel responded breezily, bumping the brunette’s elbow subtly.

Seongwoo gulped and nodded, wiping his mouth and avoiding the man who was blatantly staring at him now with increasing interest and sparks of desire.

Fuck, this must be one of their perverted viewers. Had he been a fan of Seongwoo? Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Daniel was panicking inwardly, praying that Seongwoo’s acting abilities at least didn’t fail them now.

Guanlin jumped into the conversation, trying to re-capture the man’s attention. “They had some interviews is all. Maybe you saw them on a blog.”

“No, I don’t read blogs. My interest is a bit more specific and colorful. I’m pretty sure that I saw them recently, in fact. Swing, that was it. Swing was looking for them for some reason. I saw it in my email.”

Seongwoo inhaled sharply and stiffened. Daniel’s hand shot out to stroke his spine, glancing at him with concern while trying to maintain a poker face as if he had no idea what the man was talking about. He grit his teeth, just barely holding himself back from punching that smile off that creep’s face.

How dare he ogle at Seongwoo? Just because he’d watched a video he’d shown up in, did that give him some sort of ownership rights? The nerve of these pervy geezers. Daniel’s blood was boiling like bubbling, searing magma.

“Swing? They’ve never dealt with Swing. They are freelancers, not working for any Chinese company.”

“Anyway, we’ve got those cigars, guys. I’ve heard that it’s best to have them on a day when the waves are calm and it’s not so windy or cold like today. What do you say?”

“Oh, that’s a fine idea, lad. I do love me a good smoke. It’s been ages. These are hard to come by.”

The man finally tore his hawk eyes from Seongwoo, turning to the box of cigars Jaehwan was holding open in his hands. Daniel felt like he could almost kiss both of them right then for their quick thinking and excellent acting skills.

“Daniel, what do we do?” Seongwoo pretended to cough and then whispered behind his hand close to the blonde’s ear once the attention was completely diverted away from them.

Daniel leaned on his knee with his chin in his hand, acting like he was intently watching the men lighting up the long, thick, brown sticks while murmuring between his fingers in reply, “I think we’re safe for now. Guanlin did a good job. If we’re lucky, he’ll have a shitty memory. But I think that he’s seen our broadcast, you more than once.”

“It’s more than that. I think that maybe…”

“Yeah, I was afraid of that. I know just what you’re thinking of. It seems that Swing sent something out about us so that people will report or catch us if they see us. Knowing how they work, there’s probably a reward.”

“Why are they so persistent? Why can’t they just let us go? As if there’s not enough others to amuse these creeps with. Damnit…”

Daniel pretended to stretch and then laid his hand over Seongwoo’s back, rubbing slightly in comfort. It unfortunately didn’t seem to set the anxious man at ease much. He wished that he could take Seongwoo below dock and cuddle him and have a nice, long talk. That’s what he was sure the other needed. That would make them seem even more suspicious though so he really couldn’t.

“Because we’re just that amazing, hyung. They know we’re a commodity. We make them big bucks. It will cost them more revenue to lose us than it will to use some resources to find us before we make it home.”

Seongwoo sighed heavily and sank his head in his hands. The boatmen looked over in concern. Daniel smiled in reassurance, patting the brunette’s back and telling them he was feeling a bit sea-sick. That at least allowed him to pass on the cigars. Seongwoo hated even the smell and taste of normal cigarettes.

I thought we were free, that this was all over once we made it on the boat, what if we’re caught just when home is right in our grasp, Seongwoo thought anxiously.

Daniel continued to subtly rub his back in soothing circles, glancing over at him frequently and occasionally at the scarred boatman who took drags and longing, lingering looks at his friend. He had a bad feeling that at some point, things might get nasty with that man.

I better stick close by Seongwoo whenever that guy is around and make sure he’s never alone with him, he vowed.

 

 

The third day on the boat, Seongwoo had to stay under the deck because he was suffering from either sea sickness or an upset stomach from too much fish the night before. The medicine only helped up to a point. He desperately fought off the urge to hurl and went in and out of shallow sleep.

The others checked on him frequently, remaining quiet as they could be when down there so as not to disturb his rest. Daniel truthfully wanted to volunteer to stay down there with him all day until he was better, but he forced himself not to. Minhyun and Jaehwan were aware that something had happened between them, but Seongwoo clearly didn’t want them to know or think that anything was changed.

Daniel respected his crush’s wishes as usual, even those that were unspoken. As they still had yet to talk about anything related to that night or their relationship. Their conversations stayed light, fun, and positive for the most part, not touching on anything deep or complex. Daniel thought about bringing it up, but it always got stuck in his throat at the last minute like a big chunk of unchewed, sticky rice.

He had promised not to talk about it while they were on their mission unless Seongwoo brought it up first, which is what he thought was right. Truthfully, they couldn’t afford distractions like that and it wasn’t like one discussion was going to bring about a solution to a complicated, multi-layered problem.

Just be patient and give him space like he wants, he told himself. There will be time to talk about it after we alight onto our homeland.

“You might as well just go down, Daniel. You’re seriously no help here. You just tangled up everything I untangled. It’s pissing me off.”

Jaehwan let out a flustered sigh, giving him a nasty look.

“Oh, woops. Sorry about that. It’s trickier than I thought, and my hands are quite big and clumsy,” Daniel apologized once he saw the helpless mess of ropes they were trying to untangle for the crew at the back of the boat. Daniel’s section looked several times worse than it had before.

Minhyun’s smile was kind, understanding, and as ever irritatingly all-knowing. “Seongwoo’s on your mind, right? We can both see that. It’s practically stamped on your face. We can handle that and the rest of this, so go stay with him.”

Daniel flushed, shaking his head and hands frantically for emphasis. “N-no! I wasn’t thinking of or missing Seongwoo. I w-was thinking of and m-missing my cats. Rooney and Peter. They must be so big and old and fat now.”

The couple shared amused glances and evil smirks as he rambled at a ridiculous speed about his cats in Busan.

“You’re a terrible liar, you know that,” Minhyun interrupted.

“Why did you even try to go along with Seoggwoo’s lie about the other night? We most definitely heard you two having sex. For several hours actually,” Jaehwan added with a genuinely curious look.

“I told you, we went to sleep early. You must have heard someone else.”

They both rolled their eyes in perfect sync. “The walls are super thin, as you know.”

“You’re lying again. Listen to your voice. It’s so easy to tell.”

“I-I’m not, I swear!” Daniel practically whined, banging his fists on his knees in a childish fit.

They both laughed and ignored him.

“What’s going on between you two though?”

“You clearly liked each other before even leaving the facility. So, now that you’re free and you’ve even done the deed of your own will, then why aren’t you together yet?”

“What’s stopping you?”

“You can be honest with us. We can give you advice.”

The pair continued on like this, badgering for ten more minutes. Daniel stubbornly insisted that he had no idea what they were talking about and him and Seongwoo were mere friends. Eventually he stood up with a frustrated cry and ticked expression.

“I’ve had enough of this nonsense and nagging. I’m going down.”

Minhyun mocked, “Oh, now that you have an excuse to, you are.”

Jaehwan snickered, then added, “Just admit that that’s where you wanted to be this whole time anyway, lover boy. And that you were looking for one for hours.”

“Shut up!” the irritated blonde called over his shoulder and grumbled as he stomped to the stairs area.

 

 

Daniel went down the ladder-like stairs however on his tip-toes, trying to avoid all the creaky areas and wincing when he couldn’t. When he got to the bottom, he held the bar and the wall, peeking around the edge inside.

Seongwoo was curled up on top of a low-set cot, fast asleep. The pile of towels next the bed he luckily saw was still clean and Seongwoo wasn’t hurling into the pail. Seeing that he was slightly shivering and a frown marked his angelic face, Daniel figured he must be cold.

He sneaked to the other cots, piling one more of the thin blankets on top of his rolled-up form. The frown wrinkles faded as he relaxed, a slight tilt coming to his kitten lips as he smiled in contentment at the newfound warmth.

Daniel smiled in relief, standing there for several minutes just watching the gorgeous, adorable man sleep and not sure what he should do now. He didn’t want to go up and face the interrogation squad. His brain was fried from attempting to keep up with the boatmen and Guanlin’s conversations because he hated Chinese.

He was bored of sitting and watching the sea which is what they did for most of the last painstakingly slow-passing days bound for Korea stuck on the open sea. They rarely even saw boats or birds out this far, just some whales and dolphins and fishing or cargo boats on occasion. Without strong wind, even the waves eventually became boring because they were rather calm and flat. How nice it would be to at least see large waves with surfers riding along, cutting the foamy surface. It wasn’t, however, that sort of sea.

After a long time of debate, Daniel laid down on the empty cot next to Seongwoo, blinking heavily as he happily watched the angel sleep.

 

 

When Seongwoo woke up, he was surprised to see Daniel less than a foot away from him, having a fitful sleep. His arms crossed across his chest which was only covered with a black hoodie. Seongwoo sat up, lightly tsking in reprimand.

“No matter how much natural body heat you have, it’s chilly here. You’re going to catch a cold, stupid puppy. Then we’ll both be sick, and I can’t take care of you like you have for me. That’s just unfair. I have enough I need to pay you back for without adding that to the list too. At least have the courtesy to take care of yourself until I get better. Rude much.”

He pulled off one of his blankets and laid it carefully over every bit of Daniel’s massive frame, which was no easy task, especially his daddy long-leg like limbs. He smiled softly and stifled a laugh as Daniel’s perfect oval-shaped face warmed with a joyful expression right after.

“Aigoo, so easily pleased and always so smiley you are. Such a gorgeous, blinding one at that. Who needs the sun right when you’ve got a Kang Daniel?” he joked to himself, reaching out to brush the messy blonde locks back off his forehead.

“Aw, he’s the cutest when he’s asleep.”

He stopped a minute later, wondering what the hell he was doing acting like a love-sick fool. Had he ever just smiled while watching someone sleep and brushed their hair, thinking that they were adorable and precious? No, he didn’t recall any time that he’d ever done that.

“Huh. Consensual sex must affect people more than I thought. Do people always get these weird fuzzy feelings and romantic impulses when they bonded with someone of their own free will? Why do I keep thinking of my friend as something more just because that happened?

I must be really weak-hearted from lack of experience. Just because we have sex doesn’t make him my boyfriend. What an immature way of thinking.”

He scolded himself, hitting the side of his head as if that would dump all the weird thoughts from his head. He found himself unable to stop staring at Daniel, however, his brain a busy whirlwind.

Why did he feel like things had changed since then? Why did he freak out more than ever when Daniel in particular got close to him or touched him? What did he want Daniel to be to him? Where was the line exactly between caring as a friend and liking as something more?

Was he imagining that Daniel treated him differently over the last several weeks? Why did he want that to be true and what’s with those fantasies that popped up since then?

Should he talk to his friend about what his jumbled up thoughts and feelings meant? Should he admit that they had sex and that things had been complicated especially between them since then? Should he take back that he didn’t want to talk about it until at least the mission was over?

Why was he scared of what would happen after they talked about it, as if he might lose Daniel as his friend and the thought was soul-crushing? Was it better to be patient and keep himself distance and ignore Daniel’s subtle, caring gestures and intense, affectionate looks until they had at least docked in their homeland? Should he bring it up since they were bored out of their minds with nothing to do anyway? What on earth was the best way to handle this messy situation?

With those hundreds of thoughts swimming in his head, sleep was helpless. He still tried, since he had nothing better to do. Sitting up made him feel more at risk of puking anyway.

He laid down on his side, watching Daniel sleep. The blonde frequently shifted, groaned, and muttered nonsense words in his sleep. Seongwoo couldn’t make sense of what he was saying but he was curious about what he was dreaming about and left feeling entertained even more so than many of the movies they’d watched together in his room after their broadcast time finished.

He thought back to those simpler times, almost missing it. He didn’t miss being imprisoned or controlled or watched constantly. He missed how easy and pleasant things had been with them. At least their relationship just like most others was something he could put in a defined, clearly cut compartment.

They had been employers and comrades who enjoyed getting deep into their act and utilized their overwhelming attraction to each other to get pleasure and various benefits that made their lives comfortable. They simply did anything they felt like afterwards to keep themselves entertained, not thinking of why they felt close or what that meant. They certainly didn’t think about where their relationship was going to be in the future, since they were surviving and enjoying the little things day by day--in Seongwoo’s case trying hard to not let that evil, dark monster swallow him whole, majorly because Daniel would surely feel guilty and find himself at fault.

Since after that morning he’d found him bleeding out on the bathroom floor with the razors next to his head, his mind fuzzy with the large dose of pain killers he’d taken, Daniel had promised would do whatever he had to do to ensure Seongwoo never found himself on the brink all alone and helpless like that again.

Seongwoo bit his lip and teared up as he pressed his arm to his chest. He couldn’t see them but somehow he felt like he could feel them. He might have gotten away from his cage but the beast that tortured him for years was not yet fully driven away.

He needed to see a psychiatrist and receive medicine and various therapies for that, he knew. He wasn’t objected to it either. But there had been only one medicine that had worked and he had come to heavily rely on it over time. That was the man next to him that was his ray of light and his strength when all he had was darkness strangling him and he felt too weak to fight it.

The brunette whimpered and shivered in fear as he desperately sidled up to Daniel, sliding under the blanket so he could feel his warm, solid body more clearly. As he had many nights when Daniel wasn’t aware of it and a couple times in the dawn when Daniel had been more than willing to be his pillow in times of need, Seongwoo hugged him tight and pressed his nose to his chest.

Daniel hummed and rolled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Seongwoo froze, not sure if Daniel was awake or not. A minute later, Daniel was still and slightly snoring, so he figured he was safe for now.

Just ten minutes, that’s as much as you’re allowed to get or he might wake up and see and you’ve got no real idea how to explain this away since you aren’t even sleeping in the same bed anymore, he told himself firmly.

He squeezed and smiled against the younger’s cozy, firm chest, drawing an immense amount of comfort from inhaling Daniel’s special musky scent mixed with that of the salty sea. His messy thoughts and negative emotions scattered instantly, a sort of calming, peaceful, snowy whiteness filling his brain and spreading warmth through his soul. Daniel was—once again—a very necessary and effective source of healing for the scarred man.

 

 

“Seongwoo hyung…Seongwoo-yah…Seongwoo…Seongwoo!”

Seongwoo was awoken abruptly from light slumber by Daniel muttering his name in his sleep, almost sounding destressed.

“Hmm, what is it, Niel?”

“Oh, good. You’re still here. Seongwoo-yah…Don’t go…”

Seongwoo rubbed and pat his back, thankful that Daniel was just sleep talking so he didn’t have to slip away just yet. He was comfortable and not feeling nearly as sick, so he really didn’t want to.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Seongwoo… you know something?”

“No, what do I need to know?” he whispered, stifling back a giggle.

The next words crashed into him like a wrecking ball as he’d never expected to hear them from Daniel now they were outside of the facility and not required to act. Even while they had made love for hours last time, Daniel hadn’t muttered those words even once. Those words that he’d said before that used to drive Seongwoo nuts because of all the heart fluttering and confusion they brought him during broadcasts.

“I like you.”

Something told him that even if it was a confession in his sleep, he wasn’t going to be able to so easily brush that familiar phrase away as easily as before. His eyes widened, his heart pounding so hard it was ringing in his own ears and he was terrified the drumming might awaken Daniel even by feeling it against his chest.

“Do you…?”

“I mean it this time, really. Maybe I even meant it then and didn’t know it. Seongwoo, I like you. I like you a lot,” he repeated in his low, thick voice, still likely asleep. “What do you think of me, hyung?”

“I….I…I think…um…”

Seongwoo cursed, pressing his flaming face to Daniel’s hoodie, half tucked under the blanket.

Shit, I have no idea what I think as usual. I need more time. This is all so sudden and there’s a lot of factors and this is the hardly the time with all we’ve got going on and our uncertain futures and…

His mind basically crashed and shut down at that point. He sighed, rubbing Daniel’s back in comfort. He felt bad that he couldn’t give the sleep-talking man a definite answer when he on the contrary seemed clearly to know what he felt and desperate for an answer. This explained a lot the way that he’d been acting and why Seongwoo felt like things were different.

So, Daniel had been crushing on him even before they had had their accident. That’s probably why he asked him to come, why he took such good care of him, why he protected and often stared at him, why he seemed to be in competition for Minhyun for his attention and praise. Daniel genuinely liked him, not in just a friendly sense, not mere physical attraction. He’d caught feelings. Real ones, not the sort that could be excused away with their role-playing.

“Jesus, I’m an idiot. I’m sorry,” he muttered.

Daniel was younger but apparently more mature if he looked at this situation. Seongwoo just seemed to avoid and run away instead of being someone who fought and faced things boldly. He wanted to be more like Daniel. He thought of how he had told Daniel that he didn’t want to talk about things and he wanted things to stay secret between them as they pretended like they were just normal friends, though he knew that it was wrong.

Daniel had been hiding his feelings and doing as he wished, as selfless, caring, and putting him first as ever. What a great man he was. That a stupid, clueless man who knew next to nothing of love hardly deserved.

Seongwoo felt honored that a great man like that genuinely might like him. He started thinking he really needed to sort out his own feelings as quickly as possible and bring up ‘the big talk’, since Daniel obviously wouldn’t. How much he must have wanted to and been antsy but forcing himself to stay patient and keep distance respectfully because he figured that’s what Seongwoo wanted.

“Why are you so nice to me? Let everything go my way when it’s the exact opposite of what you want? You fool…” the brunette sighed again, squeezing the big blonde tighter.

His heart was twisting, slightly aching, and filling with a warmth he’d never known. Despite his mental agony, the foremost emotion he felt was happiness. Affection bubbled up to his throat, overwhelming him for this special man he hardly deserved.

He pulled up his head and kissed the blonde’s throat sweetly.

“Makes no sense why you’d like me really…”

Maybe….it could have just sleep-talking nonsense. He might be getting ahead of himself here, assuming his confession was true. That was completely plausible, sure. That would be better for all of them, so he was going to pray for that.

If it wasn’t, what was he going to do now? If Daniel consciously confessed to him sometime before or when they got off the boat onto Korean soil, how was he to answer then? Did he feel something more than friendship and attraction too? How was one to tell that? Why had he not ever thought to use his points to order a book or magazine about this subject?

The whirlwind of complex, conflicting thoughts and complicated, bothersome questions came rushing back to torment him once again. They—along with his nausea--made sleep impossible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> This chapter is mostly fluffy filler and foreshadowing with a bit of angst and plot. We're on the last part of the mission. Will they make it safely to Korea? Or do more troubles await this group?
> 
> Thanks for reading up to here. Hope that you are enjoying. Would love to hear from you guys about what you think of it. We've got two chapters left and let's just say the next one, the finale, is quite eventful and emotional. You might like it? You might hate it? Probably you won't have expected it but. Well, let's see what you think is going to happen in the comments. I'm curious who can predict where I'm going with all of this and what your theories are.
> 
> See you in a week! 
> 
> <3 Raina


	10. The Parting (Final)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parting even temporarily is bittersweet, but at least we know now how we really feel and finally--we're free men.
> 
> (This is the final episode but there will be an epilogue that wraps things up and gives you a happier, more satisfying ending, it just happens after a large time skip so def you want to stick around, this story isn't over but the drama/action/suspense/angsty parts are)
> 
> WARNINGS
> 
> Mature content: violence, guns, character (villian) death, murder  
> Trigger warning: attempted rape 

That day the ocean was calm--much too calm to be a good omen. It was just as the men of the sea usually said. It was the calm before the storm. However, it wasn’t until the actual storm passed that the real, horrific storm occurred for the group.

The mild storm they had weathered through just fine. Because the boatmen told them to stay under deck while they kept the boat from capsizing or tipping and losing their cargo. They were more experienced and the boat was lurching back and forth like a see-saw, so none of them were going to voluntarily go up on deck to get potentially swiped away by a crashing wave roaring over the edge of the constantly rocking vessel.

For once, Daniel didn’t care about what Jaehwan or Minhyun were thinking. Seongwoo didn’t like storms and he honestly didn’t have fond thoughts of them either. They embraced each other tightly, listening to some music from the burner phone, though he only had about twenty songs on there since the card on it contained limited space. They were burrowed under two blankets layered on top of each other to keep extra warm and help muffle the terrifying sounds of the howling wind, shouts, and crashing waves.

Several hours later, the ocean returned to being tranquil and the murky, nearly black sky was pearlescent blue with barely even a cloud in sight, the glaring sun nearly suffocating them. Seongwoo said he was going to go down under the deck to change because he’d become sweaty. After several minutes had passed without the sight of the elder, Daniel’s nerves tingled with an odd feeling.

As he was walking around to the opening leading under the deck, he felt like he heard some sort of high-pitched scream--for a fleeting second. Chills ran down his spine and his steps quickened.

When he got to the opening, he saw Seongwoo scrambling backwards up the ladder, his face streaked with tears, his clothes disheveled. That one scarred-eyed creep that had been frequently staring at Seongwoo with undisguised, lustful leers since the night they had dinner together and he seemed to recognize him was chasing him up. His weathered, dirt-crusted hands were clawing at Seongwoo’s waist, attempting to either pull him down or get his pants open. Seeing someone with their paws on very private areas of his crush caused Daniel’s mind to turn white with fury and panic.

“Get your fucking hands off him!” Daniel shouted, slamming his boot on the man’s chest.

Seongwoo’s shirt ripped from the man’s hands as he gripped it in a last attempt not to tumble. That he did anyway, with the cloth chunk in hand and a look of fury mixed with slight fear on his face. Daniel didn’t pay him any mind as he crashed, cursing to the floor, likely landing flat on his back which might cause some injury. He only cared about getting Seongwoo the hell out of there and figuring out what that bastard had tried to do to him. He would take care of his precious crush, then would proceed to murder that filthy prick.

“Hey, Seongwoo. You okay? Talk to me,” he murmured as calmly as he could manage, gently embracing the brunette that was shaking like a leaf and trying hard to stop his tears.

He held on tight to Daniel’s waist, sniffling into his collar and wetting his neck with warm liquid. Daniel glared at the opening leading under the docks, soothingly rubbing Seongwoo’s spine and holding him close.

“Hyung, quickly tell me what happened. You’re safe now. I’m here. What did he do? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“N-no…He just grabbed me and he t-tried to do s-stuff. I kicked and punched him but it wasn’t any use. And I managed to scream, but then he m-muffled me with his m-mouth. So, I b-bit his tongue and kneed his groin. I was able to get away for a second but he ch-chased after me and p-pinned me to the ladder. Started groping and trying to r-remove my clothes…”

“Fuck,” Daniel spat out, tensing immediately at the realization that this asshole had been about to rape Seongwoo, literally right under his nose. Thank god he had sensed Seongwoo was taking an unusual amount of time just to change and that he had heard his partial scream.

“D-Daniel…I’m scared…”

“You don’t need to be, hyung. I’m going to make sure that guy’s sleeping with the fish in a few minutes.”

“That’s what I’m scared of.”

Seongwoo forced himself to stop sniffling and took a deep breath. He straightened up, pushing off Daniel’s chest with one shaky hand. He wiped his tears away and rubbed his nose, trying to look coolly indifferent. Daniel noticed that his lip was quivering and tears beaded at the corners of his eyes. His heart was breaking and his brain a mess of flashing scarlet with the rage he was feeling at the sight of Seongwoo pretending to be strong right after he’d had a terrifying incident.

“Don’t do anything rash, Daniel. It could affect your future. You promised, no unnecessary bloodshed. We can just…pretend like nothing happened and I’ll keep my distance from him. It’s not like he’s going to do anything with others around. So…”

Daniel’s jaw set like steel bars melded together--impassable. “No. I don’t like it. I don’t like the idea of him being within half a mile of you, hyung. I don’t think it’s even possible for me. I’m so pissed off right now, you don’t even know. If I see him, I’m going to go raging bull mode and knock all of his fucking teeth out with one swing, I swear to God.”

“Don’t! You promised, hmm? I’m just fine, see? Nothing happened. I defended myself well. Right?”

Daniel sighed as he looked at the worried man who was holding his arms tight in case he charged for the ladder stairs--which he had half a mind to do, to be totally honest. He forced himself to relax and then brought the slender, still slightly shivering man into his firm embrace, stroking his silky hair.

“Right, right. You’re right. You did a good job, Seongwoo-yah. You’re not a weakling anymore. That was quick thinking and you probably would have even gotten out of there without my help. Sorry to make you worry. Maybe you think I’m over-reacting, but you just gotta understand something. I can’t tell you in detail just now why, but seriously. You’re really precious to me.

The idea of anyone doing anything to harm you, doing anything you dislike against your will, it positively infuriates me. I’ll try to hold back, for now. Since that’s what you want. I swear though if he even lays a finger on a strand of your hair again, I’ll—”

Daniel was silenced by a peck on his cheek. That was the first time that Seongwoo had voluntarily put his lips on him since their incident. His insides melted into something like a chocolate fondue substance and his face gradually heated to the shade of a ripe apple. The effect of a single, innocent kiss from a fallen angel was that strong.

“Um, hyung? W-what was that f-for?” he stuttered.

Seongwoo held his cheeks and smiled softly, letting out a throaty, faint chuckle. How could he possibly laugh after what just happened to him? It was an anomaly, Daniel thought.

He was quite different from the melancholy crybaby Eeyore always who needed protection image he had back at the facility. This version was less of a precious baby and much more attractive and endearing somehow. Daniel didn’t know how to function after that kiss or that look; speaking was simply out of the question.

“Thanks, Daniel. For caring about me like that. Enough that you get a murderous look in your eyes directed to whoever dare hurts me. That’s twice now I’ve seen that.

I like that look, as terrifying as some might think it could be. It makes me feel safe and protected, like I’ve got a guardian and I don’t have to worry about things so much. You’ve always been like that for me.

Thanks, my guardian. But I’ll handle this one on my own and you just stand back and watch from the sidelines like the good loyal puppy you are, okay? Staying uninjured and out of trouble.”

“Hmm, alright…” Daniel merely muttered breathlessly with a small nod, blinking at Seongwoo like he had no idea who the guy was anymore.

Seongwoo giggled again, brushing his thumbs tenderly across the blonde’s fluffy cheeks. Then he leaned in, pressed up on his tip toes and pressed their lips together for a sweet, fleeting peck. Before Daniel could even close his eyes to enjoy it, the feathery soft touch was gone.

Daniel tensed as the man appeared, stumbling, groaning and clutching his back. He glared and without thinking, started to instinctively charge with his fists rolled up. Seongwoo stopped him by standing between them with two firm hands planted on his chest, a plea and calming look on his handsome face.

“Daniel.”

Daniel, don’t, we just talked about this, stay calm, for me—Seongwoo’s deep, emotive eyes told him that, sparkling like they contained every star in the universe.

“Fuck.”

Daniel spat out a curse and immediately turned around to glare out at the sea. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying hard to control his fury and murderous instincts. He wanted nothing more than to disobey Seongwoo and pummel the living shit out of that bastard for what he’d attempted to do.

How dare he? What if he hadn’t gotten there in time? What if he hadn’t heard Seongwoo’s scream? What would have Seognwoo been forced to endure? Why did all the bad things ever happen to the most undeserving, sweetest person in the world? It wasn’t fucking fair!

“Daniel, it’s okay. He just left. Didn’t even look at me. Ease up, please…”

Seongwoo rubbed his shoulders and brushed his button nose against his neck, making his skin deliciously tingle. His soothing, musical whispers and his graceful, gentle touch worked magic on Daniel’s mood and the knots in his body. Once he was slightly relaxed, he let out a defeated, heavy sigh.

“The things I do for you, I swear. You really have this power over me, hyung. I don’t think you really even know…”

“I know. You have powers over me too, Daniel. Believe me.”

Seongwoo hugged him around the waist, linking his hands over his stomach, and resting his chin on Daniel’s broad shoulders. Daniel stared at his pretty, fragile hands, thinking again how they seemed lonely and delicate, feeling like they were calling out for him. Then, he touched them and squeezed as lightly as he could muster, his skin slightly stinging from how hard he’d been clenching them earlier.

‘What do you think that means? What powers do I have over you?’ he thought of asking but decided this wasn’t the most appropriate time.

The setting might be romantic but the situation hardly was. He was still shaken up and furious and racked with guilt and worry at the moment.

That conversation would have to wait for another time, especially why Seongwoo had just kissed him. Once he wasn’t at risk of being taken away for murder because that sure wasn’t going to bid well for their future. He needed to just bask in Seognwoo’s warm embrace for whatever reason he was suddenly giving it to him, feel that pleasantly warm tingle still on his lips, and talk about anything else that would get him cooled down and functioning properly.

“Have you ever watched The Little Mermaid, hyung?”

“Sure I have. Several times.”

“If you were Ariel, what would you have done? Would you have given up your voice? Or would you have offered something else?”

Seongwoo might have been fazed by the out of the blue, completely off-topic question. However, he successfully hid that and answered honestly.

He hummed, sending a different sort of tremor through Daniel and making his lips tilt up at one corner.

“I think I would have given up my sight or my walking ability instead. The most important thing since they had already seen each other was that they were able to talk and hear each other. Her voice is her most charming point and what he surely remembers most, right? I think it was stupid of her to give it up and made a ton of unnecessary complications.”

“Good point there. I agree. So, you would say that it’s worth it? Giving up something for someone you barely know?”

“Well, if she thinks it’s love, even if she’s not sure what love really even is or if love at first sight is real, then I guess it’s okay. Who’s to really say it’s wrong? It’s her life. Maybe a chance at love with that person she barely knew was more important than anything else in her life or possession. Because that was her sole chance at happiness and losing how lonely she felt.”

“Hmm, wise and poetic words. You’re so mature sometimes, hyung.”

“Really? I don’t think so. I don’t even know what’s the difference between liking someone and loving someone. Hardly a mature move there.”

Daniel laughed softly, squeezing his hands closer and nestling back into the other’s small, flat chest. “Me neither. To tell you a little secret.”

“Eh, Mr. Future Casanova should know that though,” Seongwoo teased lightly. “How could we know about something complex and adult like that though, right?”

“Right, how could we? We’ve never had either happen. Being cooped up and controlled with little freedom to talk to and up with who we please.”  
They couldn’t see it, but they were both mysteriously grinning and flushing strawberry then. “Exactly. What do you think loving someone is like?”

“Hmm, sort of like what’s happened today, with us.”

“Hmm, how so?”

“Like I thought you’re in danger, so I rushed to your side. I thought someone was hurting you, so I go into a blind rage, wanting to get revenge and protect you. You run to me because you feel protected. You stop me from attacking them because it might ruin my future though it’s what you wish I did honestly. Something like that. Do you think that’s love?”

Seongwoo snorted and bumped the back of his knees with his bony ones in jest. “I don’t know about that. It sounds partially like anything that a friend would do and also just sort of foolish. When will you ever stop being a risk taker?”

“When you stop being a damsel in distress, Rapunzel,” Daniel teased, elbowing him.

“My hair is hardly long enough and you are the blonde one here.”

“But you are the prettiest and fairest of all in the land.”

Just like that, they were able to ease each other’s moods considerably, steering and casting away their more negative thoughts into the warm breeze.

 

 

Later on the next day, something was off with the direction of the boat. Guanlin realized they were turning around and went to talk to the man that was at the helm. It didn’t make sense that they would turn in any direction since the Korean shore was right before their eyes practically. Just around an hour or two off.

When he came back, the other four were gathered where they’d been called on the deck. The two boatmen had ropes in their hands, appearing to be cornering the other pair. The only person that looked anything less than fearful and utterly confused was Daniel, who was standing in front of Seongwoo with his arms back as if shielding him, glaring fiercely at the man no-one knew had assaulted Seongwoo earlier.

The scarred, scruffy near rapist was smirking as he uncoiled the rope in his hands, staring arrogantly right back at him as if he were challenging the blonde. His head turned towards Seongwoo, licking his lips and eyes flashing with amusement and a possessive sort of desire.

Seongwoo gulped and ducked down, gripping the back of Daniel’s shirt as chills ran down his spine. He had acted tough earlier for Daniel’s sake but honestly he was quite intimidated and terrified by that man. He was much bigger and stronger than him, making it quite the feat to fight him off that first time. His skin still crawled with his foul, rough touches.

Now that man was surely even more furious and tempted to have him for whatever disgusting, cruel plans he had. Something like starve him and when he was weak have his way with him several times and then sell him back to Swing for a rich bounty. The thought was horrifying. He’d rather jump ship and drown than have that fate befall him.

Daniel squeezed his hip as if to tell him that whatever he was afraid that man was planning he wasn’t going to let happen, no matter what he needed to do. Seongwoo was scared then for Daniel’s sake as well. He was worried what would happen to him in an altercation while attempting to protect him. It would be five to three but those guys were like tanks honestly and he was a squirrel in comparison, while the rest of them were more like variously different sized puppies.

Guanlin spoke calmly, “What’s the meaning of turning the boat around without consulting us? And what’s with the ropes? Put them down and have a calm talk between business men. We have a deal, after all. We paid what you have asked and been nothing but helpful and compliant on the journey thus far. What are your grievances? Attacking us is not necessary, I assure you. We’re more than willing to negotiate.”

“Those four. They are runaways from one of the Swing facilities. Aren’t they?” the scarred man spat, tone confident and quite cold in comparison to the last few days when he’d spoken to them.

There was something off about him, as if he were actually a cruel man and almost half-crazed. Even the other boatmen shifted nervously, glancing at him with something like fear and distrust. It was obvious that he was like the ring leader and he’d probably coerced the other two into betraying the group and breaking their deal in order to get the bounty. The other two seemed a bit more loyal and kinder, though as Guanlin had said—don’t trust any of the Chinese you come across.

“There is a nice bounty on each of their heads. Especially these two. I know them but it took me a bit to be sure of it. Their names were never revealed and I didn’t look at their faces that much but anyway. I’m sure Swing will be happy to have them back.”

Guanlin stepped out between the two groups with his hands up and a diplomatic attitude, extremely calm as if he’d had professional acting lessons.

“I can give you a better deal than Swing. Just turn the boat back around and let me get them home.”

“Hmm, possibly. I’ll give you a few minutes. Let’s hear what you have to offer, boy.”

All the talking was being done by the leader, the one with the scar that continued to leer at Seongwoo and fidget impatiently with the ropes like he couldn’t wait to get them around his lithe body.

Seongwoo bit his lip nervously, letting out a soft whimper. He didn’t want to keep looking at the sketchy guy because the eye contact was disgusting, but he couldn’t afford to take his eyes off either in case he made a move and he needed to quickly dodge and try to help the others however he could. It seemed like he was going to go after either him or Daniel first. Either because the man now had a grudge against them or because they had the largest bounty on their heads.

Daniel glared harder, tensed and buffed up his body in a threatening manner, slightly growling around his clenched jaw. It sort of reminded Seongwoo of a large adult dog bearing its teeth at a stranger approaching his owner. It was sweet and he was thankful for it; probably would feel more so if the situation weren’t so nerve-wracking.

He didn’t want Daniel to draw attention and get into a one-on-one altercation with that man if he could avoid it. He didn’t want to see Daniel get hurt or Daniel do something stupid that would screw up his future by putting him in prison. Anything was better than that, even if he got captured and hurt.

He lightly brushed his back and held on to the back of his shirt as if he could hold him back if he lunged. Daniel was too strong for him to hold back though, he was sure. Earlier he had just been lucky. Now Daniel was likely more determined than ever to wipe that bastard from the face of the earth for threatening their safety twice in one day and just being a giant dick.

“Daniel….”

“Hush. Not now.”

Seongwoo sighed, remaining quiet after that clip retort. Daniel was extremely pissed and not going to listen to him that was for certain. He could only hope that Guanlin’s coercion tactics worked at this point. Soon a huge brawl on this boat would be breaking out.

“I can offer you lots. My family is financially well-off and connected with the fishing industry as well. I can get you new boats and better fishing permits. You can go to those areas you’re currently prohibited from entering which will increase your profits. You might be able to spend more time on land. I’m sure that will make you happier, less lonely.”

The man scoffed and rolled his eyes. “How can I trust a teenager? For all we know you could be a runaway as well with a bit of stolen money from your parents or elsewhere. Your word is as good as dirt.”

“I showed you my ID. Theirs aren’t genuine but mine is. You can take me back with you then. Have my finger prints and documents checked, talk to my family. After you release them, of course.”

“What if you turn out to be lying? Then we lost them and you. The best bet I can give you is that we return with everyone aboard. Then, you give us all that we want before we set sail again and we won’t hand these guys over.”

“How can I trust you though? You might have contacted Swing already. They could be waiting for us as soon as we return to the China-side harbor.”

“Well then, I guess we’re at a stale-mate. We can’t trust each other.”

“I guess so. Why don’t we discuss with the crew—”

“Nope. Discussion time is over. We’re doing things my way, the easiest way.”

The firm, coldly speaking scarred man subtly shifted towards the pair behind Guanlin as they talked, tugging and wrapping the rope around his hands. Daniel backed Seongwoo up into the farthest corner of the back of the boat and whispered for him in a commanding tone to stay there.

Minhyun, Jaehwan, and Daniel then stepped forward with their arms held out, crouched low as if to spring, hawk eyes on the two boatmen with ropes. When the leader lunged towards Daniel, the other man followed at a slightly lagged pace towards Minhyun. Guanlin grabbed the second guy’s arms and Jaehwan bent low, running fast and slamming into his chest.

The man toppled to the ground with three people on him. Minhyun and Guanlin held down his arms as Jaehwan sat on his legs and started bounding his feet with the excess rope. The man for some reason didn’t put up much of a fight as if he either knew this was a lost cause from the beginning since they were outnumbered or as if his heart wasn’t in it since they’d had some good talks with the travelers.

The other man only had his mind on money and revenge and he’d come a lot more prepared with a huge pack of fighting spirit.

Daniel lunged as soon as he sensed the tiniest shift in the man. They clashed like two bulls, their thundering steps causing the boat to vibrate and then tilt as they crashed into the wall. They planted their feet, hands gripping bulging arms, foreheads locked in place of horns as they stared each other down with gritted teeth and growls.

Seongwoo was itching to help somehow but he knew that Daniel didn’t want him involved because it would put himself at risk. However, Daniel was taking on that big guy all by himself, that he disliked.

Thankfully, Jaehwan moved off after the one boatman’s legs were tied to help. He tore away the rope, trying to move towards the guy’s feet to tangle him and trip him. The guy maneuvered easily out of it and kicked Jaehwan in the head, knocking him over.

Minhyun cursed and rushed to his side, leaving Guanlin with the more docile boatman. As a precaution, he began quickly bounding the man’s arms behind his back.

The scarred man was back to wrestling with Daniel as they attempted to throw each other down on the floor and get the upper hand. Minhyun was helping Jaehwan sit up and holding his head which was dripping blood. He’d been cut on a part of the floor, possibly a jutted nail or a splintered piece of wood.

Seongwoo glanced around the mess, biting at his fingers, thinking of what he should do in this situation in order to help. Daniel cursed and they all froze as they heard on ominous click. He had a gun aimed at Daniel’s chest. Daniel started to reach one hand for the stolen Swing gun he had in his pants pocket just in case. He whipped it out and pointed it at the other’s chest. The boat was completely silent, all eyes trained on the two armed men facing each other off.

Daniel thought fast and hard about what he could do in this situation. The best option was to take his gun and toss it in the ocean. However, he didn’t want to risk the man panicking or getting trigger-hungry. He didn’t know his personality well enough to predict that. If he were to randomly fire, the others could be put in danger.

Daniel jumped as the man fired a warning shot at his feet, leaving the wood splintered. Daniel stepped swiftly aside and trained his gun to the guy’s head, tightening his hand on hilt.

“Don’t play around. I will shoot.”

“Playing around is more fun, but alright. If you’re in a rush to die, I’ll take care of that for you.”

The man smirked, stepping closer and raised the gun to his forehead. His fingers twitched and his eyes blazed with icy hatred and amusement. Daniel gulped, reading to shoot and dodge at any moment. Then, he heard a pair of rushing feet coming their way and his intense concentration became broken.

“Seongwoo, no!” Daniel shouted in alarm, the fear in his tone starkly evident enough to be hair-raising.

It was too late. Seongwoo was already on the move. He stayed low as he rushed to the armed man. The gun swung his way. The fingers on the trigger pulled without a second hesitation. The gun fired, the bullet sinking into the opposite edge of the wooden boat. Luckily, it missed Seongwoo’s temple by a millimeter as he shifted at just the right moment.

Seemingly unfazed by almost losing his life, the adrenaline-filled brunette barreled as hard as he could into the upper part of the boatman’s chest, hoping that the pressure and speed was enough to throw off the large guy’s balance and toss him overboard. He hadn’t taken into account that he was much lighter and the man had seen him coming earlier. The man turned his body to get ready for the impact and gripped his arms, hoisting him overboard instead. He rolled in the air and crashed into the cold waves.

The gun was at least dropped from the man in the unprecedented altercation, spinning noisily across the deck towards the other guard. They didn’t think much of it since Guanlin had finished completely binding him and he seemed content to sit back and watch the spectacle like it was some sort of game playing live when all he’d ever had a chance to watch was through the TV.

He appeared fairly disinterested, not seeming even the least bit concerned about his fellow crew member. It was again evident that this crew was not as tightly nit with this leader as they had thought. That made their mission a lot easier. Now it was three to one, except they had to worry about Seongwoo who was currently in the water.

“Seongwoo! Seongwoo!” Daniel hung over the edge with his face now sheet white and haggard, incredibly worried.

He continued to call his name in a choked, breaking voice and desperately search the rolling, dark blue water until he saw Seongwoo’s head popping up. Thankfully, he appeared unharmed and able to swim. He shook his head and treaded water before he started swimming slowly towards the boat.

Daniel let out a shaky breath of relief, his eyes growing wet and stinging. Thank god, he’s alive and he can swim, he thought.

He was just about to jump in after him because he was worried that he might freeze or grow tired before he made it the boat when he was tackled by the man he’d completely forgotten about. He cursed and groaned in pain as he was caged by steel-like arms and slammed hard to the wooden floor.

“Fuck…Get off, you bastard…”

The man was pinning him to the boat’s deck, smirking evilly. Daniel understood clear as crystal what he was thinking, which helped him make sense of the Chinese that came out of that rotten mouth.

“Seongwoo, Seongwoo~!” He mocked. “So that’s his real name, huh? It’s quite a pretty name for a pretty man with a tight ass I’d really like to get a feel for. You tell me since you’ve had it say what, a hundred times. How good is he really? On TV, it looked like he was the best bottom of the bunch by far. If you give me a little preview, then I might just let you—”

As soon as he saw an opportunity, Daniel swung his fist as hard as he could directly into that filthy man’s chapped, creepy smirking mouth. More than being enraged at the man’s disgusting train of thought, he should be worried sick about Seongwoo. He knew that Minhyun or Guanlin would see to it that he got back on the boat and now he didn’t have to worry about that gun or any ropes. For now, the guy’s target was gone and thus Daniel’s reason to be careful as well. He didn’t have to currently protect Seongwoo so he could focus all his energy and release that pent-up rage and hatred he had. This man was now higher on his shit list than even Swing guards were.

He got in a few more punches until the man pinned him down, dripping blood from his nose and lips all over the floor and Daniel’s shirt. Daniel shifted his body, trying to wiggle his way out of being pinned so he could properly fight. He grit his teeth as he shoved back the beefy arms trying to push his own down to the floor. He tensed his stomach, managing to sit up within reach that he could fiercely head butt the man.

The man retaliated by cursing and wailing at his head with his ham fists. Daniel blocked with his arms, taking most of the damage to the sides of his head and his arms. Bruises were sure to follow. His head ached and his ears were ringing from the blows, but at least he’d still have his vision and he was yet to bleed which meant he was doing better than that guy.

Suddenly a gunshot sounded and the heavy man slumped on top of him, warm liquid gushing from a wound in his throat. He died there nearly on the spot with gurgling sounds. Daniel thought for a long moment if he was responsible for that but he hadn’t recalled holding onto that gun and he had his still. He grabbed it, wondering if it had shot him by accident somehow. Then, once he realized that wasn’t possible, he felt terrified that one of his friends had done it, making them a murderer and putting their escape at major risk.

When he slid out from under the bleeding, motionless man, however, he saw they were just as shocked. Minhyun had just pulled Seongwoo up onto the dock, dripping wet and shivering. Jaehwan and Guanlin were staring behind him where the other boatman was with shocked, nervous expressions. The boatman who had been at the helm was standing there behind the bounded boatman, gun in hand still pointed in their direction as if he were frozen.

Daniel—shirt soaked from the fallen man’s blood--instantly raised up his hands in surrender and the others followed. The boatman looked around them, the slightly crazed look fading to the soft, warm look he usually wore that made him resemble a teddy bear that had just been a bit overloved and worn out. He was the one they had considered the kindest. Ironically. He smiled and pocketed the gun behind his back.

“Sorry about this whole mess. It’s better that we’re without this heartless bastard. Actually, we hated his guts and this whole turn the boat around and sell you guys off thing was all his idea. He’s unreasonable. The world is a better place without them. He doesn’t even have family anymore. They have all abandoned him after all the wrongs he’s done. Including being a pervert and a rapist.”

Guanlin stepped up, ceasing the opportunity to work a truce between the two groups. “Can we negotiate now? If you just turn the boat around and continue to take us to Korea, then I’ll ensure you get whatever you need. Earlier I was talking about how I can get you…”

The man shook his head, still with a kind, wide grin. “No worries, boy. I have no real reason not to trust your word after seeing how you were able to get them out of Swing and get them here and all. You’ve got connections and money, obviously. That’s clear without a doubt. That guy just didn’t want to listen because he’s a cruel, sick bastard that just had his mind set on getting that one to himself is all.”

The previously armed boatman pointed to Seongwoo. Minhyun brushed his wet arms as Seongwoo’s dripping, dark head stayed bowed. Daniel put his hands down slowly, his teeth gritting at the thought. He was strongly tempted to kick the man but it was a cruel thing to do to the dead, and it’s not like he’d feel it anyway. He wished that he had had a chance to get a couple hundred more solid blows in during their fight. He should have been the one to kill that bastard, though Seongwoo would likely have stopped him, worried that he’d become a criminal.

“What I need you to do more importantly is help us cover up this murder. It won’t do well for our business or your rescue if the first moment we land, we’re taken in for questioning. We can simply say when we get back that he decided to stay in Korea and here we can say that there were only two of us on board while the other decided to stay back home because he felt ill. It’s simple. As long as we clean up this body and agree to keep our mouths sealed about it. What do you say?”

“We say…”

Guanlin turned to look at each and every one of them in turn. They stared at the body, gulped, and with solemn faces nodded their heads. It was unfortunate but there was no better solution. It seemed that there was only one bad man on this boat and they didn’t want to cause trouble for the missions that each group needed to complete.

“We’ll help you. That sounds like a fair deal. And if no one is going to miss him, then it’s just like getting rid of some trash.”

“Trash is right,” Daniel spat, spitting literally into the pool of blood and glaring fiercely down at him. “Filthy, smelly, fucking disgusting trash.”

“Get Seongwoo hyung down first, Minhyun hyung,” Guanlin instructed. “He’ll catch cold like that if he’s not changed and warmed up soon.”

Minhyun nodded gravely, rubbing Seongwoo’s shivering body all-over. They started walking slowly towards the opening to the lower floor, a trail of sea water dripping along the floor behind them. Seongwoo glanced at Daniel, hesitating to move forward without him. Daniel started walking that way to follow when Guanlin stopped him.

“Hyung, I’ll need you to stay here. It’s not like me and Jaehwan can lift this body by ourselves. Jaehwan should probably go down since he’s injured. We’ll need to clean up quickly. We will be boarding by early tomorrow morning.”

The other boatman nodded, in the middle of untying his crew member who had remained quiet, sitting on the floor. “That’s right. I’ll get it turned around immediately and get you a bag to put the body into and a mop and bucket to wipe down the floors.”

“I’ll help. Sorry, did we tie you too tight?” Jaehwan murmured as he helped unbind the man’s ankles who groaned and rubbed the raw skin.

“Yes, but I deserved that. You did what you had to do to help your friends out of a tight situation.” He smiled, showing several missing teeth amidst the yellow, crooked ones left as if he very rarely ever saw a dentist. “Sorry, I didn’t want to play the villain.”

Daniel knew he should probably helping out because these men had shown them much more grace than he expected. However, he was concerned with Seongwoo, studying the way he walked and his expression to be sure he hadn’t gotten hurt. He wanted to go down there with him in place of Minhyun, of course. Dreadfully. He sighed once they’d disappeared down the ladder, feeling a pain in his chest related to longing.

“Let’s stop the chatting and get going with this. We should eat and rest as well before it gets too late,” he suggested, back to his usual commanding tone.

He didn’t care that he was younger and demanding things of the older boatman on their own territory. If they had a bone to pick with him, he had enough rage still flowing through him that he could handle another brawl or two. It might be good for him actually. He had a lot of stress bottled up in him from the last few days, especially earlier. He wouldn’t mind at all taking it out on someone.

No one chose to create beef with the young man who was blood-stained, bruised, and clearly in an increasingly bad mood. They quietly worked at their various duties.

 

 

Within an hour, the body was wrapped up and sinking to the depths of the ocean and the floor had been washed down until it was practically spotless, minus the scum, rust, and oil stains that were there permanently. The boatman started getting dinner prepared with Guanlin’s help while Jaehwan’s minor wound got treated by Minhyun under the dock.

Daniel thought of going down below but he was still inwardly stewing. He didn’t want to take his bad mood out on Seongwoo and so he decided to avoid him for the time being. He didn’t want to add to his stress after all the trauma that he’d been through or argue with him he should be resting.

 

 

The next morning, they docked. Seongwoo watched as Daniel went in front of them. He was wearing an anxious, gloomy expression. Daniel hadn’t said a word to him and hadn’t come down until after he and the others were already asleep. Even this morning, he was avoiding Seongwoo’s gaze.

He had twice tried to strike up a conversation with him, but Daniel had briskly turned away with tense shoulders and a cold expression, ignoring him blatantly. He was scared of what it meant this time. It was just like back in the forest and when they first got to the hideout.

Was Daniel trying to put distance between them before they went their separate ways? Was he going to say that he didn’t think they should contact each other anymore because it would stir up bad memories? Was he just angry or not feeling well because of something else?

Seongwoo was the only one left on the boat, chewing on his lip. The others turned around to look at him and then finally Daniel did. His expression softened slightly as his plush lips crooked, that cute dimple popping out within his fluffy cheeks.

“Are you scared? Even if you tripped and fell in the water, it’s shallow and there’s no alligators or sharks living there. You know Korea doesn’t have those. Come on, Ongcheongie. Let’s go inside.”

Daniel stepped forward, coming halfway up the plank and holding out his hand. Seongwoo looked between his smiling face and his outstretched, inviting hand warily. He wasn’t sure if he could trust that.

Were things okay with them now? Or would walking onto Korean soil mean the end of their relationship as they knew it? He wanted to go home but he didn’t want to go with these things left unknown.

He wrapped his arms around himself as a shiver of dread and that familiar loneliness started to creep up his legs. He hesitated for a minute more as Daniel merely stood there, smiling sweetly and encouraging him in a warm, husky tone.

“It’s fine, Seongwoo. There’s nothing to be scared or worried about. We’re home. Things are going to be so much easier now. You’re free and you’re safe. I kept my promise.”

What about the promise that you’ll still be my friend and keep in touch, what about that one? Will you keep it as well? Can I trust you in that regard? Or are you acting right now to get me off the boat?

Seongwoo wasn’t sure if Daniel could read the anxious thoughts in his eyes but he certainly wished he could because he wasn’t feeling brave enough yet to ask. Maybe he never would.

Why was he such a coward all the time? They were safe and free. Their ordeal was finally over. Couldn’t he tell Daniel now that he wasn’t fully sure but he thought liked him and ask if he still felt that way or if his previous confession was just drowsy non-sense? Couldn’t he just ask where did Daniel see them going from now?

He wanted to but he wasn’t certain if he could muster up the courage to do it. And he would need to do it very soon. Within the day, it was likely they’d be on their way to their own homes in separate ends of the country without any way to contact each other since they had no phones. That left little to no hope that they’d see each other again, let alone resolve their relationship issues.

“Are you still shocked from your dip earlier? From your second fight? What’s wrong, hyung? Talk to me.”

Seongwoo shook his head and attempted a smile. It came out weak. He pushed himself to at least get off the boat and take the concerned blonde’s hand for now. That much he could do. He needed to take this new adventure and all of its new troubles and complications one step at a time.

“I’m just a bit scared of some things. I’ll tell you later,” the brunette murmured as he placed his hand on top of Daniel’s large, secure one.

Daniel closed his fingers gently around him and tugged. That one gesture seemed to give Seongwoo strength. His legs finally were able to move and they weren’t as wobbly and unfamiliar feeling as he feared they would be.

Daniel backed up, slowly leading him down with another hand out to ensure that if he started to tip then he would surely catch and right him before he had a chance to fall. Seongwoo smiled gratefully and then giggled, thinking how silly they must look to the others. He must seem like a total child. Especially compared to Daniel who had fought several times on his own and won against guys that were bigger than him.

Once he was on the ground, Daniel pet his arm and ruffled his hair with an affectionate scrunch of his face and little growl.

“This cutie. You’re such a baby sometimes. So precious I want to put you in my pocket and take you home.”

Seongwoo’s smile was both shy and tinged with sadness. Because he wouldn’t mind that, he realized. He wouldn’t mind that at all, being with Daniel forever. But it couldn’t be.

He might have figured out his feelings the second that he’d yet again put himself at risk of dying to ensure that Daniel went unharmed. What good was that knowledge this late though? When they were going to be saying goodbye soon? When there was a good chance that Daniel would be putting distance between them which he thought was best for his own sake?

 

 

They spent most of their day back on Korean soil in the police station. They had to tell their individual stories and check their identities to confirm it matched those of the people who had missing person’s reports. They also filled out documents in order to get their official IDs back. They, especially Guanlin, were given major praise for their complex escape plan which amazingly had few hiccups. Swing had no idea that they were not in the country.

The police promised that they and their families would be kept safe. They got them in contact with their families, just briefly to check that they were still living where they were registered to.

Daniel’s mother had been impossible to talk to because she was crying so hard. He promised to come see her within the next twenty-four hours once things were fully taken care of.

Truthfully, he didn’t want to leave Seongwoo alone. He wanted to travel to Incheon with him and make sure that he was settled and alright before traveling to Busan. He was still thinking of it, even more so when Seongwoo got off the phone with his parents. He went out in the hallway, obviously crying. He was trying to stop himself, rubbing his eyes and sniffling lightly.

Daniel grabbed him by the elbow and tugged him gently until they were clear from the windows where others could see from inside the office. Then, he merely pulled Seongwoo into his arms without saying anything.

Seongwoo kept his face in his hands, his bony shoulders shaking. Daniel cooed to him, brushing his hair and patting his back, encouraging him to let it out instead of holding it in and trying to be strong. It didn’t suit him nor was it healthy.

It was just the two of them for the first time in days, so it was okay for him to do that, to show his weakness like how he would only show to Daniel in the facility. Seongwoo gradually slid his hands to his chest and then to his waist and eventually to his back. He pressed his forehead to Daniel’s chest and gripped his clothes tight as he softly sobbed.

Daniel knew talking about it would just make him more embarrassed, so he remained silent, comfortingly touching him and holding him close, being the usual solid rock he was.

When Seongwoo leaned limply against him, spent of his tears, Daniel then spoke softly. “Everything is okay with your family, I hope?”

“Yes, they’re all fine.”

“Did they forget you? Is that it?”

“No…”

“Did they think you’re a ghost and not believe you then?”

“No, luckily. They believed that I would find my way back or that someone would get me out of there. They didn’t give up on me.”

“That’s good. So, what’s with the waterworks on this joyful day?”

“I’m just relieved, mostly. Touched. Happy. Amazed. Overwhelmed. It’s…complicated.”

Daniel lifted his head up, slightly concerned by the listless tone of his voice. It sounded like he needed proper sleep and food and like the reason he was overwhelmed was stress. He felt a bit bad for not having been able to come up with an escape plan that was less tiresome and drawn-out. He had done the best he could with the resources they had. He hadn’t expected they would have so many run-ins with terrible people that led to traumatic, life-threatening experiences either.

The younger smiled sweetly as he brushed the wetness away from Seongnwoo’s now puffy, panda-reminiscent eyes. His rosy cheeks and nose seemed to darken in shade, his large, ebony eyes glistening and looking at him with hesitation, his crooked, pearly teeth trapping his thin, coral bottom lip.

Daniel avoided looking at the last place less he felt tempted to kiss there. His hand was already inappropriately cradling his jaw and pressing on the dip in his back so that they were in flush contact. He stared at Seongwoo’s pinkened button nose as Seongwoo continued to fret about something and try to speak telepathically.

Daniel wasn’t fully registering what he wanted though, or at least the signals were confusing he didn’t know how to interpret them. As if Seongwoo wanted him to keep holding him, wanted them to kiss, wanted him to say something sweet, but at the same time he was scared and so didn’t dare ask for it.

Daniel had made up his mind last night. However, before talking about what they wanted to do with their future relationship if Seongwoo truly liked him like he suspected, he had a bone to pick with him about what happened last night.

Seongwoo whimpered as Daniel pinched and pulled his cheek rather painfully, scrunching up his nose with an annoyed look.

“You stupidly jumped on an armed man. This frustrating Ongcheongie. Why do you keep doing that? Putting yourself in harms way for my sake? I told you a ton of times already that I can handle myself and I had that situation under control just as all the others. That’s three times I’ve had to see you throw yourself in danger and become a damsel in distress. I really wish you’d stop doing that. Last night I was so pissed off at you for it, I couldn’t go below deck.”

“You don’t need to lecture me. I know it’s stupid. I just can’t seem to control my body.” He rubbed his face, looking equally annoyed and disgruntled at the criticism. “It’s just instinct.”

Daniel’s voice raised, eyebrows furrowing. “Why though? Your instinct should be to keep yourself alive, not get yourself killed. Unless…”

Seongwoo stomped his feet, temper flaring up. His voice came out nearly a shout and full of fire.

“It’s not that! I wasn’t trying to kill myself, okay? Don’t even suggest that nonsense. I’ve put that all behind me. I was worried. I didn’t want to see you get hurt. Because I care about you. I care about you, alright? So that’s why my body moves instinctively when you’re at risk. I would rather get hurt than see you hurt, that’s all. I almost don’t want you to go to Busan alone because I’m worried you’ll do more stupidly risky things like you’re always doing.”

Daniel appeared taken aback at first at his sudden outburst, possibly the first time he’d ever heard the other raise his voice out of anger. Then, as he listened carefully to the frantic, rapidly spat out words that almost sounded like he was rapping, Daniel began to smile wider and wider. Until the corners of his lips were almost splitting his ears.

Seongwoo basically just confessed to him without even realizing it. How freaking adorable could you get?

Seongwoo finally stopped for a breath, standing there all tensed, flushed, and huffing with murderous yet teary eyes. Daniel returned to cradling his jaw, this time with two hands, pushing him back into the wall. Their bodies pressed flushed together again with an incredible heat and tingling bursting forth.

“Fine then. I’ll go live with you in Incheon. You can keep tabs on me and jump in harm’s way several times more while reuniting with your family. I’ll go meet my mother some other time…”

“N-neh? D-Daniel, what are you saying…”

“I’m saying, Seongwoo, that I care about you too. I don’t want to separate. I’ll also be worried that you’ll be hurt from your clumsiness or get overwhelmingly emotional. So, if you are so worried about me and don’t want to separate either, I’ll go live with you in Incheon. That way we can worry less and enjoy our initial days back in Korea.”

Seongwoo flushed, stuttering furiously and pushing at his chest, eyes darting down the hallway where the door was opening.

“T-that’s crazy talk. That guy must have hit you one too many times in the head. S-someone’s coming out, g-get off…”

Daniel was about to reluctantly when he noticed the pale, slender, clean hand and polished dress shoes that slipped out. It was his merely his brother. He had nothing to be ashamed of. He didn’t want to hide anything from family, especially his crush who seemed to like him mutually back. Which meant, he had a chance to be his boyfriend, someday.

“It’s fine, guys. It’s just me.”

Guanlin shut the door and came over with a friendly, gummy smile.

Seongwoo kept trying to push Daniel off. Daniel merely held his wrists, continuing to press his body close, pinning him to the wall. He chuckled, nuzzling the other’s flaming cheek. Seongwoo appeared mortified, then shot knives at him through furious eyes.

Guanlin laughed heartily at that, a sound almost like the squeak of a dolphin. It had been ages since he had heard it. He was happy to know that Guanlin was being himself and seemed to approve of Seongwoo and of their relationship. It seems that he had continued to grow up well.

“What’s this I hear about you moving in with Seongwoo hyung in Incheon? You’re not going to visit Busan?”

“Well, er…” Daniel hesitated, unsure if that was really happening because he’d meant it as a half-joke and he also worried about hurting his family.

Of course, Seongwoo was important and so were they. He couldn’t really choose one or the other. He didn’t want to if he could somehow avoid it.

“Since you’re dating, it’s not good to split up for too long. You’ve just gained a life again. You need time to reconnect and have proper dates which you’ve been robbed of likely. You should stick together for now. I can bring your mom up. Dad will be coming whenever and wherever you’re ready to meet him. Just let me know what you think of that.”

With that, Guanlin left them, going outside to make a phone call and leaving them alone again.

Seongwoo blinked up at the smiling, obnoxious blonde, having temporarily give up trying to wiggle out of his hold. “You told your brother we’re dating?” he hissed.

“I didn’t. He just assumed. I guess we act like boyfriends.”

Seongwoo snorted and rolled his eyes. “That’s because you’re always treating me like a princess who can’t do anything for herself.”

“And because you’re jumping in harms’ way.”

“No, it’s more because you do unnecessary things and often stare at me.”

“You often stare at me as well. And you smile at me differently than you do with others.”

“I do not!” the elder insisted, sounding offended and embarrassed, his ears now cherry red.

Daniel snickered, smiling impishly. “You do so. You smile extra sweet to me. Like you’ve caught feelings. You even hugged me and kissed me twice yesterday, totally randomly.”

“Well….maybe because…maybe because I have….” Seongwoo muttered incredibly soft as if he had meant that to go unheard.

Daniel heard it and his heart seemed to stop, but he asked again just to be sure. “What?”

“N-nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

“No, you clearly said something. Did you just say you caught feelings? You have feelings for me?”

“Er, um…”

“Hyung. Tell me. Do you have feelings for me? Yes or no.”

“Y-yes…”

Daniel chuckled, squeezing him so tight that he squealed to be let go because he couldn’t breathe. Daniel loosened his hold slightly, burying his nose in Seongwoo’s warm, sea-scented neck. Now his heart was gayly skipping.

“Hyung, that makes me extremely happy. I’m the same, you know. I caught them too. It’s been quite a while for me though.”

“Yeah, I kinda sorta figured…” Seongwoo hesitated a moment and then wrapped his arms around Daniel’s neck, patting his shoulders.

Their hug was awkward initially but as it went on for several more minutes it became more natural, snugger, sweeter, and warmer.

“How about we make a deal? It’s sort of like a promise but more official.”

“A deal? Hmm, let’s hear it first.”

They untangled, merely holding hands, standing with their foreheads pressed together, eyes on their fiddling fingers, both of them flushed and smiling like dorks.

It was time for the talk that they sort of dreaded—the serious talk about their future that they’d been putting off. They both subtly seemed to be confessing without saying the actual words on purpose. Because they knew the reality of their situation was bleak. This wasn’t the right timing to start an official relationship.

If they said they loved each other, it was as good as jumping into a relationship. Neither, however, could afford to have a relationship right now. For a variety of adult reasons that they couldn’t avoid, hide, or escape from like they were used to.

Their futures they needed to face head on, just like they needed to be realistic about a relationship. It wasn’t ideal sure but as much as they liked each other, the timing just then wasn’t right. And they needed to talk about that. What could possibly be done about that. Because they couldn’t really be together like they wanted to be right then, yet they also didn’t want to be fully without each other from today onward either.

They had been through too much. They meant too much to each other. They couldn’t just say ‘peace, it was nice knowing you, thanks for your help, good luck with your new life’ as they might with others. That wouldn’t be paying homage to the depth of their relationship.

“I was thinking we stay in touch as friends while we’re getting our lives situated. Say the next year or so, however long it takes. We don’t date anybody. We just focus on building up a career and spending time with our families again.”

“Hmm, it sounds doable so far. Not like I’m going to have any time to date when I don’t have a plan at all for my life, not to mention money. And…?”

“We can keep in touch regularly and see how we’re feeling during that time. If several months have passed and we feel like we still…favor each other. That there’s still something special there that we don’t find with any others we meet. If that happens, then we can arrange to meet up. Maybe have a real, deep, long talk about…everything that’s happened with us. Maybe have an official date and see how things work. If it goes well, then we might even consider moving away from our parents. You know, if our work life is stable enough.”

Seongwoo remained silent, staring at the opposite wall and scratching his chin with a thoughtful look. His other hand remained between Daniel’s two as he rubbed and massaged his fingers and palm gently.

“What do you think?” Daniel pressed a minute later, starting to feel nervous and impatient. “Bad idea?”

“Hmm, I think it might just work. It’s a sensible idea. Not bad at all. So, we leave things open. Sort of unexclusively exclusive.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“What if I develop feelings for someone else? What should I do then? Wouldn’t that get messy?”

Daniel grimaced for a fleeting second as if the idea physically pained him. Seongwoo felt the same way as soon as he’d voiced that realistic comment. His heart felt like it was being squeezed into a metal box that was much too small.

“Well, if that happens to either of us, sure, things could get complicated. Even more so if we keep it secret. We wouldn’t want to hurt the other, but we also wouldn’t want to deny what we think is right or best. We both deserve to move on and be happy, even if it’s not fated to be with each other.

So, why don’t we just do as we’ve always done? We both prefer to live honestly. So, I’ll just tell you I found someone else, that I’m sorry things didn’t work out, and I hope that we can stay friends. And you can do the same. Not so many hurt feelings that way. Because…”

“Yeah, because it’s sort of natural and expected, right? How can two people feel the same way for each other over a long-time separation when they probably only feel that way because there were such limited companions before? That’s just the cruel reality, like any other we’re used to. Never can escape that…”

Daniel felt a wave of sadness splash over him at that. It was like Seongwoo was downgrading their feelings. He wasn’t incorrect though. It was possible. It was that possibility that made him grow sad as well. That they might have started to have feelings for each other not because they’re destined to be together like he’d thought recently but just because the circumstances turned out that way. That once they parted, those feelings would gradually begin to fade into nearly nothing besides brotherly affection.

“Who knows? It’s not impossible. Distance makes the heart grow fonder. There’s also that saying.”

“That’s also true. Anyway, it sounds like a good idea to me. So…no moving with me to Incheon?” Seongwoo’s smile was bittersweet, his eyes teasing but also sad and apprehensive.

Daniel’s smile was equally melancholy but sweet. “No, unfortunately. Not today anyway. I guess you’re just going to have to deal with me worrying you with my stupid, reckless actions.”

“Well, hopefully you will lay off.”

“I’ll try. I don’t like worrying you and I like even less you nearly dying because of me.”

Seongwoo rolled his eyes. “I was never close to dying, come on.”

He was though, twice now. Two times in his life Daniel had come to his rescue and saved his life at the last minute, becoming his guardian angel.

“I hope what we’ve been feeling is real.”

“Me too. I really wanna say those words back to you…”

“N-neh? Back to me?” Daniel stopped kissing his fingers, blinking in surprise. “I don’t have any knowledge of confessing to you until just now.”

“Er, nevermind. Right, you never did. It was just…a dream…Yeah, must have been in a dream, silly me…ha ha ha…”

Daniel narrowed his eyes as Seongwoo awkwardly looked away, stuttering and flushing. He was pretty sure that Seongwoo was keeping something from him. He decided though, for the time being, to enjoy the rest of whatever stolen moments in the hallway they could get before saying goodbye. He could bicker and hound him later through daily texts and phone calls.

 

 

Daniel abruptly opened the taxy door and slid into the backseat, telling the driver and an extremely adorably startled Seongwoo, “I’ll be just a moment.”

Seongwoo stared at him with apprehension and confusion written all over his handsome face. “Hey, I thought we agreed…”

“Not to say goodbye officially. I know. I changed my mind. I needed to give you something.”

Daniel took Seongwoo’s hand and put a piece of folded-up, torn notebook paper inside.

“This is my address and all my contact information that I can currently recall. Let’s definitely keep in touch. If something happens, anything at all, you be sure to reach out to me or come here. You can surely stay with me. My mom is cool like that. I just know she’ll like you.

Anyway, hyung. Take care. Smile a lot. Do things that make you happy. Avoid being sad as much as possible, but when you get that way, it’s okay to hug a pillow and imagine that’s me and cry it out. Don’t hold it in because it’s really not good for you.

Get the help you need. Stay close to your family. Talk to them a lot, especially about your worries and insecurities and loneliness. Like I said, definitely keep in touch with me. Can’t stress that enough.

And…just know this before you go back home. You’re really precious to me. I highly doubt anyone will come into my life that’s more so. I’m going to be missing you every day like crazy. Good-bye.”

The blushing blond man folded Seongwoo’s hand over the note and ended his incredibly sweet speech with an awkward smile and double wave. Seongwoo giggled, finding this delightful. Daniel was truly cute in that moment and it wasn’t as hard to bid farewell as he thought it would be.

He liked Daniel a lot at the moment. Who knew what would happen later and who really cared? He was living in the moment still, just as he always had been. He had never been the sort to only think and worry about the future. He preferred it that way, even know.

“This isn’t goodbye forever. I’ll see you again, Niel. I’m positive. The way that we’re feeling, I just have a good feeling about it. That it’s not going to change anytime soon. That it’s going to last, maybe even get stronger. We just need to wait a bit, for the perfect timing to come along so we can be together like we wish. We’re good at that though, aren’t we? We’ve had years of waiting. What’s a couple months more? Come here.”

“Hyung, why all of a sud—"

It was Daniel’s turn to be shocked when Seongwoo grabbed the front of his hoodie and pulled him hard so he flew across the seat, softly pressing their lips together for a sweet, lingering peck. Daniel closed his eyes, sinking into the emotional kiss with a pleased hum, his hands reaching out instinctively to cradle his crush’s cool, smooth face.

It was a good choice for him to get in the car he decided. Though the kiss made him not want to say goodbye all the more, even temporarily. Their very first kiss as free men in their homeland who knew of their mutual feelings and no longer would be denying or doubting or holding them back tasted the sweetest of all the hundreds they’d ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to give you angst and an open-ending but at least it's hopeful? They cannot be together yet because the timing is just all wrong but they're not going to fall out of touch or openly look for other people (dose of reality, they cannot fully escape everything such as bad timing and physical distance and responsibilities). So, I hope you won't panic and feel too uneasy. The epilogue will wrap things up and give you something to finally smile about. Hope you liked the action scenes and fluff and moments of sweet, awkward romance!  I was trying to cushion the angst that was coming and also give you something to smack you awake and keep you bored, of course there should be a bit of drama and every part of their escape mission. I tried to put in a bit of gun action though I really didn't want any of my babies to be shot and see Daniel as being more of a combat fighter.
> 
> See you for the final installment of this story within the next coming week hopefully. I just need to edit and add to it on a couple more scenes. I'd love to hear what you think of this story, so if you've been silent please speak up now even if it's just a couple words. A real confession and that happily ever after sort of moment you guys are waiting eagerly for IS coming, promise. Tagged as angst with a happy ending for a reason, please believe me. I know this is the most painful semi-slow-burn ever hahaha. I've really enjoyed torturing my babies in this story.
> 
> <3 Raina


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a year apart, Daniel moves to Seoul to start his own dance studio. Seongwoo who is working as a barbor and living in Seoul as well is delighted to hear the news. The two that maintain frequent contact while harboring feelings they still have yet to officially confess to but have yet to physically see each other since the day they parted try to set up a plan to meet but things don't go so smoothly. Then, one night they are talking on the phone while eating dinner and step outside into the rain, only to discover a strange echoing sound coming from their phones.

_Did you know that a pair of doves flying symbolizes eternal romance?_

 

 

“Danny-danny fanny-fanny panny-panny my manny manny. Dan the man. How are you, Daniel?” Jaehwan sang over the receiver.

Daniel chuckled. He could almost picture Minhyun rolling his eyes and pushing the obnoxious, mandu-cheeked younger man away as he took the phone.

“Sorry about him. He’s had too much caffeine today. He just HAD to try a triple shot.”

Daniel was stunned to hear that. Jaehwan didn’t even need one espresso per day let alone three. “And you LET him? Oh boy, may the force of patience be with you, Min. Bet you’re regretting that idea.”

“You have NO idea,” Minhyun--the elder and significantly calmer, most mature of the group that escaped from China and remained tight-nit friends through the past year despite going their separate ways the day they landed on Korean soil--replied with a sigh.

The refugees had created a group chat on Kakao and stayed in touch since the day they parted. It wasn’t as if they were blowing up the chat with hundreds of messages every day. Two people would start talking about something, usually to ask a question or share some good news in their lives. Then, the others would come in if they weren’t busy. Usually they were all kept busy except for the night times or early morning.

Daniel had been living in Busan with his family, studying and practicing to get a license to become a dance instructor while spending bonding time with his mother. Seongwoo had gone through a short-term beauty school, became a licensed barber and started working and living in Seoul after he was cleared from his psychiatrist to have been almost fully healed from his depression.

Jaehwan was an amateur singer who worked part-time at a mandu restaurant, which the group found ironic because of the shape and texture of his fatty cheeks and often joined in to make fun of him about. Minhyun worked as a full-time barista while writing a novel about their experiences that would possibly someday become a best-seller and raise awareness on the realities of Swing and other industries secretly people trafficking.

Guanlin and Daehwi were working together in a private, mostly underground organization to get more captives rescued and back to Korea. Jihoon and Woojin were back safely already, living in Busan working a seafood restaurant together while Jisung and Sungwoon were on their way hopefully. Their group chat was soon going to expand to nearly eleven people.

Jinyoung, Seongwoo’s little brother, had somehow ended up in it because he had so many questions that Seongwoo got annoyed and just added him. These days he only came on if he noticed Daehwi was active and they had these weird, flirty, sweet one-sided conversations in front of everyone as the others just remained quiet and observed their friendship blooming into something else. If they ever met each other, they’d probably be confessing already but who knew when that would happen.

Daewhi and Guanlin were working from China currently, after all. Daehwi hadn’t been to Korea in years but this time he was coming with Jisung and Sungwoon, saying he couldn’t stand to work at their old facility anymore and just wanting to work undercover remotely, hacking their systems and screwing with them cyberly.

Daniel wasn’t one to call people. He rarely called and that was usually only reserved for Seongwoo, when he was missing his crush, sort-of unofficially official boyfriend terribly and their schedules happened to meet up enough to be on the phone for more than ten minutes. When they got on the phone, they tended to talk anywhere from one to five hours.

The only reason that he was calling those two was because he didn’t want to put this information on the group chat but he was too lazy to copy and paste or screenshot it to both of them. They were living together in an apartment in Seoul anyway. It would be easiest to simply tell them while they’re together and ask the questions he needed, saving his precious time and killing two birds with one stone.

“Jaenie, would you just sit still for two minutes? Daniel never talks on the phone. Which means it must be something important. Shh, please. Yah, really, why won’t you listen to me today, jeez…Freeze!”

Daniel laughed, picturing Jaehwan jiggling and fidgeting on the couch until Minhyun said that word with which he would stop moving, stuck in some odd, unnatural position with a blank face.

“Perfect couple as ever.”

Daniel couldn’t fully hide the envy in his tone over the phone as he could during text. Maybe that was why he preferred texting. He couldn’t hide his emotions so well and he sort of needed to.

“Speaking of perfect couples, how are you and Seongwoo? Are you two keeping in touch? Outside of the group chat, I mean.”

Minhyun sounded curious and like he was on the verge of teasing him. Daniel didn’t necessarily enjoy being teased but he let it happen. He didn’t think that him and Seongwoo made a silly decision nor did he feel the need to explain all the details to them. They thought that they both were ignoring each other’s feelings and too scared to mess up their friendship by confessing them.

They just let the other’s think that way, kept quiet about their deal on the day they parted, and then messaged privately, making fun of their clueless friends. It was fun to have yet another secret to joke about privately like they had in the facility. Him and Seongwoo had shared a lot, a deeper connection and more history than anyone knew about, than they were ever going to have with anyone because they had yet to even desire someone else in their vicinity.

They had done everything that a couple would do in a long-distance relationship, expressing their feelings pretty obviously through flirting and lots of selfies some not so innocent, except for confessing—as they’d agreed to. It was evident, so they didn’t really need to question if their feelings were fading at all. Not only were they not, but they only seemed to increase somehow as the months went along.

It was as the saying went that Daniel had reminded him on their parting—distance makes the heart grow fonder. It was inevitable that they were going to date; only time would tell or changing circumstances. Which was what Daniel decided to do since last month—he was taking fate into his own hands.

“We’re still progressing, talking here and there with ‘good feelings’. I wanted to tell you that I’ve decided to move to Seoul. I’ve got my license and found a studio I can rent for cheap. I’m going to turn it into a small dance academy. I’ve found a one-room place close-by that’s just in my budget. I’m moving up there at the end of the week.”

He was going to continue but he was forced to pause as his friends squealed, overcome with giddy joy at the news.

“You’re moving up here?”

“He’s coming for Seongwoo, I’m sure. So they can finally be together, no excuses to avoid their feelings for each other now.”

“Freaking finally! Seongwoo’s going to be stoked.”

“I can picture him giggling, hugging his seal dolls and blushing like a school girl already.”

Daniel chuckled, biting his finger-tip as that image filled his mind. He liked that excessively too much.

He warned them in a serious tone while fighting his goofy grin, “Don’t tell Seongwoo. I want it to be a surprise. I’ll tell him myself when the timing is right.”

They promised that they wouldn’t. Then they started asking him all sorts of questions about where he was living and what his plans were. Daniel asked the questions that he needed about how to get his things up there and how to use the public transportation and about changing his address, among various other adult things. Minhyun was the best at that sort of thing, though he’d lived in Korea the least out of all of them before he was kidnapped.

 

 

 

The evening before the moving truck was to come and Daniel had finished roughly tossing all his things in suitcases and cardboard boxes, only then did he call Seongwoo to tell him the news.

The stylist sounded pleasantly surprised. “You’re really moving here? To Seoul? So soon? That’s unexpected.”

Daniel joked, “Ah, you would rather move to Busan then? It doesn’t sound like you want me there with that underwhelming reaction. Okay, I’ll cancel everything and wait—”

Seongwoo rushed, loud and panicked. “No! Come to Seoul, don’t cancel anything! Please! I don’t want to wait anymore! My whole life I feel like I’ve had to wait for something and I’ve realized that waiting really sucks. I hate it. I hate it with a passion.”

Daniel smiled and bit his fingers, wishing that he could nip at that dangerously attractive pout he was certainly doing right then. His heart raced and his chest warmed with a pleasant tingly feeling at the words. It was good to know that Seongwoo felt the same. He also couldn’t stand the idea of waiting anymore, which was why he had concocted this plan to bring them in the same vicinity before they went absolutely crazy apart.

“Just kidding. I wouldn’t encourage you to move down here. You suit city life better and the men here are so masculine, even more so than me. Thicker accents, huskier voices, buffer bodies, better at doing things for you.”

Seongwoo joked that he was interested in this topic clearly. “Oh~ Really? Could they break a chair with their bare hands then?”

Daniel rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Pfft. I can do that. You act like it’s a hard thing.”

“I’ve seen you break an apple but a chair, hmm…”

“You doubt me? I have all my things packed but I can buy a chair and send a video of me breaking it. Just give me thirty minutes—”

“Don’t, save your money. I was just joking, ha ha. I care about things beyond displays of strength and masculinity, Daniel. I’m not interested in the men in Busan, just this one I know of….”

He drawled off. Things got slightly awkward as the line went silent for a moment. They both laughed softly and were at a loss for what to say, both likely flushing deeply. This happened a lot more than it had even happened in China, as if being in Korea made revert to their grade-school, virgin days.

“Me too. There’s only one man from Incheon I’m interested. And I’m certain he pales to the rest.”

Daniel bit his lip, making a fist with his hand at the cringy line it took all the specks of bravery for him to collect in order for him to be able to express.

“Yeah, well, Incheon guys aren’t special, so I don’t have much competition there. Anyways. Do you need help with anything? How are you getting your things up here? You’re not going to move everything by yourself, right? You might hurt your back that way…” Seongwoo asked in concern, shifting their topic away from things that made them embarrassed and quiet.

“No worries. Minhyun helped me get movers. I don’t really have to lift a finger. I’d rather you not see me like that anyway. You might hurt yourself with how clumsy you are, Butterfingers.”

“Hey, now, uncalled for!”

“And more importantly, we wouldn’t have any time to talk properly. When I see you after all this time, I want a good look at that handsome face I’ve been missing. And I want to tell you lots of things. Like all I’ve been feeling that’s about to burst out of me.”

Seongwoo’s husky, faint chuckle came clearly across the line. “Oh, boy. I’m going to be attacked and stared at like a creep and not get a word in for an hour. I better come prepared.”

Daniel smiled wide, fidgeting with his sleeves. “Yes, you should. Prepare your heart because I’m going to fill it up and then steal it.”

“Who says it hasn’t been stolen already?” Seongwoo replied in a teasing tone and chuckled.

Daniel could decide how he wanted to take that ambiguous statement. The real meaning he felt was that he meant that Daniel had already stolen his heart months ago. The base meaning was meant for him to become jealous at the idea of his heart belonging to someone else. However, he recalled that Busan comment earlier. He knew what Seongwoo’s feelings were and where his heart was--with him, safe and sound. Where it belonged for eternity.

Daniel decided the best option was to not show any kind of jealousy and make a light joke. “Ah, that’s right. I should be arrested for helping cover up a murder and illegally wielding a gun and now stealing hearts. You’re going to be dating a criminal.”

“I’m fine with that. As long as he doesn’t get caught. I know he did things for a good reason.” Daniel loved that understanding tone and could imagine his sweet smile.

“Yup. To save his favorite damsel in distress. As usual.”

Seongwoo snapped brattily in offense, “Again, uncalled for insulting! What’s with that? Maybe I will make you wait weeks before I see you once you come up here.”

Daniel laughed and quickly apologized with utmost sincerity. “Please don’t, hyung. I want to meet within a couple days of getting settled. I just need to know your schedule, when you’re free to hang out.”

“Well, the weekend is usually good. So maybe in three days from now. Oh, wait, shoot! Some random cousin I barely know is getting married, so I have to go to Incheon for that and probably visit my family this weekend. Jinyoung said he needed help with some schoolwork. Hmm… I’ll get back to you about that soon. Ugh, such a bummer…”

“Bummer indeed. Total Bumsville.”

Daniel was disappointed but he decided not to let it show. Seongwoo would only feel worse; surely he was feeling sorry and disappointed enough already. Their reunion might have to be pushed back longer than he planned but it was certainly going to happen. Soon they were going to be in the same city, after all. They likely didn’t even live that far from each other.

“What area are you moving to?” Seongwoo then asked, as if he’d read his mind.

From then on, they talked about the city. It turned out they weren’t living too far from each other. Roughly twenty minutes by subway, fifteen minutes by car or taxi if traffic wasn’t backed up. Seongwoo then told him about where he was living and the car he’d recently bought. Daniel was envious since he didn’t even have a license yet and made the other promise they’d go on a drive around the city or outskirts within the month.

They spent the rest of the night talking about places that Daniel wanted to visit and that Seongwoo knew of that would be great to show him around to in the city. They were too excited about being able to see each other regularly after a year of only through phones, texting, and selfies that they didn’t sleep a wink. Which was hard for them the next day since Daniel had to move across the country (he luckily got to sleep in the van) and Seongwoo had work (which turned out to be a terrible idea because he ended up cutting a customer’s hair too short and getting his pay docked from the following complaint.)

Still, they felt the extended was worth it. It had been awhile since they decided not to ‘adult’ and spent hours upon hours chatting, joking, and planning dates (this time it wasn’t hypothetical and they didn’t call it ‘outings’ or ‘hangouts’).

 

 

 

**Two days later.**

 

Daniel was now almost completely settled in to his new apartment. It was too tiny as it turned out for much of the furniture that he’d brought. He’d had to sell and buy new ones from IKEA that fit the size of the single, rectangular room.

The place was old and run-down but it was clean and most importantly not bug and mold infested or covered with cracks about to split in two. He didn’t honestly care that much about where he was living. It was mostly just going to be a place for him to sleep, when he wasn’t sleeping at Seongwoo’s place. It was rumored to be significantly bigger and nicer than what he’d gotten stuck with because Seongwoo was earning money and his parents helped him out; they were fairly well-off compared to Daniel’s family.

Not that he would have ever really told anyone about this. Seongwoo wasn’t a snob, though he had always shown an interest in being well-groomed and fashionable, as well as he had lots of aristocratic hobbies and tastes. Daniel might have been able to guess from that.

He wondered why Seongwoo hadn’t told him about that, but figured it didn’t matter so much now. He had the rest of his life to spend days talking to Seongwoo about anything and everything. He was sure to soon learn everything there was to know about him, including his past and his family.

As soon as he got his apartment sorted, Minhyun and Jaehwan came over to visit for a welcoming party, bringing several cases of his favorite beer, some snacks, and lots of tissues and cleaning supplies (it was easy to tell who chose what). They spent the afternoon watching some TV show, chatting, eating and drinking—oh, well, Minhyun also cleaned because he felt the place was too dusty to be left alone until whenever the lazy, immature Daniel got to that.

Daniel snickered to Jaehwan that he was going to have to invite them over once a week or so that way he wouldn’t ever have to clean. Jaehwan smirked and whispered back that that was exactly what he did, never bothered cleaning because eventually Minhyun would do it because he seemed to enjoy it and relieved stress that way.

They also talked about how Minhyun’s writing and Jaehwan’s composing was going. Daniel felt that he had impressively talented friends that would someday be famous and were definitely going somewhere in their careers once he saw what they were working on. He was excited and proud for them and told him so.

They showered him with affectionate hugs and pats in return, insisting that he was going to do well with his academy. They had never seen him dance though, so they then pressed him to show a routine. Daniel was embarrassed initially and refused. After they wouldn’t let up for ten minutes, he grudgingly performed for them in front of his TV in the cramped space to the best of his ability with some random music playing from his phone.

They clapped and later Daniel was horrified to see that it had been put on the group chat. Seongwoo had yet to have seen it, so he begged for them to delete it, saying that he could do better than that. They refused and so he chased them out of the house.

Feeling irritated and needing to wallow in misery, he resorted to the best way to relieve stress that he knew of—eating some super spicy ramen. He used the internet to search the closest, spiciest ramen shop and then migrated there. He had two bowls with an extra serving of noodles each and was drinking some refreshing water to cool down his burning mouth and stinging lips when he got a call.

It was Seongwoo. His heart fluttered from excitement and then dropped with dread.

Just as he predicted, as soon as he answered the phone, Seongwoo teased him about the video. “Are those the moves you’re going to be teaching to little kids? Were you testing things out on Minhyun and Jaehwan? Are they your first students? I want to learn that too. Especially the motorcycle move, that’s pretty cool. Oh, and the one with the telephone hands. Can I make a call internationally that way?”

Daniel pouted, pressing his plush lip out far enough to catch flies. “Seongwoo, don’t tease me. That’s mean. You know I didn’t want to do it of my own accord of course. And they took that video without my permission as well and refused to delete it. I got so furious at them that I chased them out and just destroyed my intestines with the spiciest ramen in the city. Well, in my life even.”

“Oh, I do that too! There’s this place that I go to when I’m feeling stressed or in a bad mood. The spicy broth clears out my system and all the bad feelings like magic, I swear.”

Daniel smiled as he drank another cup of water from a steel cup. He was happy to at least have learned something else they have in common.

“Ah, that’s cool. What are you up to now?”

“Me? Hmm, just finishing up dinner and about to walk home.”

“I should get going to mine as well, if you can call it that. It’s sort of more like a shoebox.”

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. I’m sure you can save up to upgrade to a bigger place in no time though.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Or I can move into your place for a free upgrade with amazing (if memory after nearly a hundred times serves correct) benefits. His smile widened as if caught with hooks on either side and his cheeks and ear-tips pinkened.

Seongwoo sounded sincerely concerned as he asked, “Is it alright though? No issues with the plumbing? Is there enough storage space? Insulated well? No bugs, I hope.”

They were still talking about his place and the neighborhood around it when Daniel paid and then stepped outside to start heading home. He would rather have people stare at him on the bus for rudely talking on his phone than hang up early with Seongwoo. Talking to him whenever he had the chance, hearing his voice--which was almost as sweet and musical sounding over the phone as it was in person--was the highlight of his mundane, boring life now. Texting with him would be the next best.

When he stepped out of the restaurant and closed the sliding door, the blonde noticed that the sky had turned dark gray and it was raining quite hard. He held his hand out beyond the safety of the roof’s barrier. Large, chilly droplets left his hand soaked in just a few seconds.

“Shoot. I don’t have an umbrella.”

“Me neither.”

“Is it raining where you are too?”

“Yeah, it’s probably raining all over Seoul right now. It’s not as big of a city as you think. Wow, those nasty clouds came out of nowhere.”

“Yeah, they did. Thirty minutes ago, I don’t recall hardly any gray in the clouds.”

“Same. I went into the restaurant forty minutes ago and…”

Daniel turned when he felt like there was an odd sort of echo, as if he were hearing Seongwoo’s voice twice in two different directions. To his left, he discovered a tall brunette in dark, oversized clothes. He had perfect proportions, a slim frame, and features that were a nice balance of masculine and soft. His sculpted profile was to die for. He gave off this aura of a foreign celebrity, like an actor. Every movement was like Daniel was watching a movie. Even his shadow on the pavement in front of the store was handsome.

“….it wasn’t cloudy then around here either. Hmm, what to do about this rain? I have to walk to my place. It’s too close to bus. Maybe I should wait it out…”

“Hyung! Seongwoo-yah! Ong Seongwoo!” Daniel put down his phone and called to the man with a bright smile.

Seongwoo turned his way with confusion at hearing his name called, clearly thinking that it must be someone else. His eyes--large, dark, naturally glistening like the night sky—peered at Daniel with a completely lost, helpless sort of look. He blinked several times, seeing like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, as if he were so incredibly stunned he’d turned into stone.

Daniel held out his arms and waved the cute guy over, laughing softly, “Ong Seongwoo! Yah, Ongcheongie! It’s me, Daniel! Did you forget what I look like already, hyung? Get over here!”

Seongwoo’s attractive face lit up joyfully as he started to run. “Daniel? That’s really you? Holy cow, it’s really Daniel! Kang Daniel~”

“Who really says holy cow, these days? This grandpa—oof!” He exclaimed as Seongwoo lunged for him and tossed his slender body into him like a bull.

Daniel planted his feet at the last minute not to fall over onto the wet pavement, throwing his arms around the other and squeezing tight, burying his face near his neck. He smelled like Daniel remembered but better because there was a mix of rain and perfume with his natural smell, shampoo, lotion, and facial creams.

They laughed, pat, and rocked each other for a minute as they warmly embraced, too overwhelmed to say anything just yet. They collected their thoughts and pulled back, eventually managing to speak.

Seongwoo managed to collect himself first, swallowing back tears, his eyes wet and full of joy. “Daniel…It’s so good to see you. This feels like a dream.”

Daniel struggled to say something because his throat felt like it had a thick lump stuck inside of it. “I know exactly what you mean. I was thinking the same thing. I knew I was going to see you, but I didn’t expect…so suddenly….”

“To think that we ended up eating at the same time and area, that’s so funny.” Seongwoo’s sharp, manly features turned adorable and childlike as he smiled broadly, his onyx eyes turning into watery crescents.

“It’s not funny, Seongwoo. It’s fate. It was meant to be. Just like we are. The timing has always been pretty perfect with us.”

“Well, I can’t agree with that. Not with all things. But sometimes, yes. The timing is scarily perfect. Did I say it’s so good to see you?”

He giggled, face flushing and about to split in half with how wide he was grinning. Tears slipped out of the corners of his crescent moons and mixed with the rain running across his face.

Daniel cradled his face then and wiped the warm wetness away, smiling softly. “You did say that, you dork. Twice. But I will let you say it three times before I tease you about it. That’s a deal.”

Seongwoo’s hands slipped up to caress the blonde’s oval, puffy face. They were shaking as was his lip and his nose. He sniffled and bit his quivering lip, fresh tears slipping out. Daniel wiped them and then closed his eyes, basking in the feel of Seongwoo’s warm, supple hands on him.

It had been way too long. He hadn’t let anyone else touch him the way that Seongwoo had. He felt as if it would be defiling his body as well as his memories. In his mind, he was Seongwoo’s, Seongwoo was his, and he didn’t want anyone to touch him nor did he want his hands to touch anyone else since then. Not intimately anyway.

“Y-you’re real. This isn’t a dream. Oh my god, it’s so overwhelming. What do I do…?”

Daniel opened his eyes and then quickly closed them in shock. Seongwoo was directly in front of him, coming in quick. He held Daniel’s face and pulled him closer as he dived in and planted a wet, sweet, shaky peck on his lips. The contact lasted for three full seconds and then when he pulled back, they both were wide-eyed and flushed strawberry to the tips of their ears.

“Oh, sorry.” Seongwoo backed away, coughing with an embarrassed expression.

The pleasant atmosphere between them suddenly became extremely awkward. Daniel scratched the back of his throat, unable to look at his crush.

“Well, that sure escalated fast.”

At Daniel’s dorky laugh, Seongwoo turned shyer and more embarrassed. He plucked at his hair and bit his tongue before stammering out, “Er…sorry. I just…I missed you a lot I guess and got excited so I couldn’t contain myself, that’s all.”

Seongwoo stared at the ground then for half a minute, apparently so bashful that he might have buried himself in the ground if he had a shovel. Daniel shyly glanced at him, not sure what to do, his heart racing and face heated. He couldn’t seem to stop nervously laughing. Then, he realized that they were in the middle of being hammered by raindrops.

“Let’s get somewhere dry and talk there. We’re just about soaked to the bone by now.”

Seongwoo eagerly jumped on the suggestion. “Oh, I know a café close to near. We should run.”

Daniel naturally slipped his hand in Seongwoo’s dangling one and let him lead as they ran down the street.

 

 

 

They forgot to release their hands which fit together just as perfectly as they remembered from their days in captivity and escaping it that they didn’t realize they were still connected until after they’d ordered. Daniel untangled their fingers so that Seongwoo could grab his wallet from his back pocket.

“Oh, sorry…”

“Nothing to be sorry for. I’m the one that should be the sorriest. What I did back there, jumping on you and being all intimate before I even know how you feel. That was rude and impulsive. I’m working on getting a grip on myself here. Trying to act rationally rather than emotionally.”

Daniel found this whole past five minutes ironic. He had been the one before always trying to keep himself and his feelings under control back then. It was sort of nice to be on the receiving end and quite amusing. Like that time that Seongwoo had kissed his genitals in the hotel out of the blue. Seongwoo appeared disgruntled as Daniel laughed while they were on their way to sit down.

“What’s funny now? Always laughing at my expense, you jerk…” the brunette grumbled with an adorable pout.

“All these sorries that we’re saying remind me of that time we sang ‘Sorry Sorry’ together. Do you recall that?”

“Ah, right. Our first da—I mean, outing. Our first time we hung out in the town outside the facility. We sang that on our way back and talked about old K-pop idols. Argued about who is better and challenged each other to finish the lyrics.”

Daniel said smugly, “I was better at it.”

Seongwoo rolled his eyes, looking as bratty yet sensual as Daniel recalled, maybe even more so since he looked more amazing than back then which he’d never thought was possible. “Whatever. I gave you easier ones, that’s all. Because I’m a nicer person who’s not obsessed with winning.”

“I’m not obsessed with winning! I let you beat me before. When we played The Musician.”

“No, you just randomly stopped hitting the buttons for some reasons. You wouldn’t let me see the score and I still don’t know why you suddenly started sucking.”

“That’s because of you! You were distracting me!”

They were playfully bantering like childhood friends as they sat down at a table not too far from the counter they would have to go to in a bit to get their drinks. Seongwoo had ordered his usual iced caramel machiatto and Daniel an iced Americano. That hadn’t changed about them. Many things hadn’t changed about them, in fact.

They might have more material items. They might dress fancier and appear more nicely groomed. They might now be legal adults with adult jobs and dreams they pursued. Other than that, the fact that they were scarred, emotional, childish slightly, liked to chatter, had similar interests, were honest and open-minded, hadn’t had a real relationship nor even confessed to someone yet—that was all the same.

Which must be why despite the rapid-flowing conversation, they were feeling weird around each other. Their hearts raced and their hands shook. Their faces heated and they occasionally stammered. They had a hard time looking at each other in the eye for more than two seconds at a time. They jerked when their feet accidentally bumped under the table and apologized unnecessarily.

The pair verbally reminisced about various positive memories in their past until their coffee came out. Seongwoo beat Daniel to it but when he came back, he almost spilled everything because he was shaking and tripped over the chair end.

The younger teased, “Clumsy as ever, I see.”

Seongwoo jokingly replied with a wrinkle of his button nose, “As much of a bully as ever, I see.”

They stuck out their tongues at each other and then laughed, coincidentally mimicking the way they covered their mouths with the back of their hands naturally as if they were a mirror.

They were about to drink when they noticed that their soaked clothes were causing a mess at the table. They removed them, feeling conscious and heated as they caught each other staring at what they were wearing underneath. In Seongwoo’s case, he had a white blouse that was clinging and sort of see-through because of the rain. In Daniel’s case, he had a black t-shirt that revealed a large amount of his arms and collar.

They covered up parts of their body with shy grins, accusing the other of being a creepy perv and staring where they shouldn’t. Their laughter died down when their eyes drifted to each other’s dripping, messy hair which reminded them of those times they’d been together, covered in sweat rather than water.

The atmosphere went from light, slightly awkward to super awkward and sexually charged. It felt like the chemistry that had been thickly buzzing between them hadn’t faded at all in the past year they’d been apart. It might have even increased because of all the times that they had flirted, almost even sexting a couple times through messages.

They couldn’t at the moment bring forth the boldness that they’d had at those times, however. They needed some time to get adjusted. Seeing their long-time crush face to face suddenly when they weren’t at all prepared was daunting. They were gathering what they wanted to say and ask and how to approach each other in the most delicate yet sincere way.

They recalled their deal—as soon as they met up with each other, they were going to have a serious talk about everything, the important things that was. How they felt about each other and where they saw their relationship going. If they wanted to try and date officially.

But when would the opening to bring that topic onto the table arise?

“You’re more handsome than I remember. That hair style and color really suits you. Seems like you even got bigger and bulkier.”

Daniel rubbed his arms subconsciously. “Ah, it’s from the dancing. The hair was my mom’s choice. She’s into idols and said I could pull off this look, though I think personally I’m way too old.”

“You’re barely mid-twenties yet,” Seongwoo commented with a snort.

“I feel much older at heart though. I’ve been through more. We both have.”

Seongwoo hummed and nodded slightly, scratching his slightly stubbly chin. Daniel liked it when he had a bit of a shadow there at night. Though he’d only seen it during the times they’d been on the run because Seongwoo preferred to keep himself clean-shaven except for his legs.

His eyes wandered to the other’s crossed, slender limbs, wondering if they were shaven still or if he’d grown out his hair and what it would look and feel like. He didn’t think he’d mind some leg hair, if it was Seongwoo he was caressing after all.

His eyes snapped up to connect with Seongwoo’s pretty eyes, feeling guilty at his wavering thoughts. No matter how long it had been since he’d been physical with someone, it didn’t give him any excuse to ruin their reunion which should be innocent and about their honest feelings for each other. He needed to shove those dirty thoughts into a suitcase and send the elevator down to the bottom of his mind.

“You’re right. We’re not significantly older than people around us but we are more mature. We’ve seen and experienced a lot more, especially hardships, negativity, and cruel acts that make you lose faith in humanity. Maybe because of that, it’s sort of hard to make friends.”

“Me too. I can’t relate to them and I have no proper excuse to say why I think differently or don’t know as much as they do with things that seem like common sense, especially in relation to historical events, new technology, and singers and such. That’s okay though. We can just be close to each other and the others that made it out.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m fine with that. I’d rather have a few close friends than several acquaintances that I can’t relate with.”

“Exactly. We relate well. But thank god we’re not actually related since we had to…um…you know…” Daniel drifted off, mentally smacking himself as they both turned awkward and shy again instantly, flushing furiously.

“Er…right…yeah, that would have been a crime. So it’s a good thing it turns out we’re not related.”

They had gotten that checked before persuing their crush further. They didn’t really want to but felt they had to, all of the Doms and Subs. Otherwise it would hurt to have to stop loving your cousin, even if it was distantly related.

“So, did you…”  “How do you…”

“You go first.”  “Sorry, no you go first.”

“No, you go, hyung. I talked the most so far. I insist.”

“You are the one that just moved to Seoul. You should be the one talking the most. You go first. I insist.”

This continued for a couple of minutes as well as them talking over and accidentally interrupting each other. They burst out laughing at the silliness of the situation, how strangely unlike themselves they were being, and how flustered they both appeared. After all they had been through and how long and well they had known each other, this wasn’t how they had expected their reunion to go. This was way more difficult and uncomfortable than they thought.

Seongwoo drawled, scratching his throat, “Ugh, this is so awkward.”

Daniel unconsciously mimicked the elder’s gesture. “I know. This isn’t how things were supposed to be.”  
“Not how it went in my head either, I’ll admit it. It’s your fault for coming all the way here just to eat ramen.”

“No, it’s not. It’s Minhwan’s fault for making me upset enough to come here. And your fault for seeing the video.”

“Oh, sure, just blame the innocent.” Seongwoo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest.

“You are far from innocent, baby. And I know that better than anyone.”

With that one flirtatious comment and wiggling eyebrows, the tension was back but the awkward atmosphere finally broken. Seongwoo chuckled with an evil, sensual smirk.

“That’s all to stay our little secret, Niel.”

“So, Seongwoo. How’ve you been? Let’s start there.”

“Um. You know everything already since we just talked the other day, so…?” Seongwoo raised up a brow and then laughed brightly.

Daniel shrugged. “Sure, I do. But I want to hear everything again, in person. It’s different. Now I can see clearly if you’re lying or not.”

That earned him an exaggerated eye-roll and a playful kick under the table. Daniel whined, pretending that it hurt terribly and that he was going to sue because he was broke after buying the place and the studio.

“Work is pretty fun. Gets a bit you know ‘hairy’ at times.” Here, Seongwoo wiggled his impeccably groomed brows.

Daniel scrunched up his nose. “Lame.”

The other shot back immediately, “Your face is lame.”

The blonde physically winced. “Ouch. Burn. How can you say something so mean after all this time? On our blessed, joyous reunion?”

“I just can. You started it anyway.” Seongwoo paused to stick out his tongue, smirking like a total brat and a half. “Anyways, going on to important things. Myself, that is.”

“Were you always this much of a diva or has Seoul changed you?” Daniel commented with amused disbelief.

Seongwoo charged on in a lofty tone, ignoring his teasing and bratty smirk. “I bought a car which I enjoy driving on the weekends. I regularly take pictures and draw. I’ve had two successful exhibitions and preparing for a third. Sometimes I travel to nearby countries to take photos and walk around and eat.

I regularly went to a therapist back in Incheon and got cleared. Now I’m doing fine in that department, taking anti-depressant medicines just to be on the safe side. I have not once thought of harming myself since we came to Korea. Is that enough information?”

“Sure, I guess. But you left one thing out. Are you seeing anyone?”

Seongwoo appeared like he was on the verge of saying ‘besides you?’

“No, I’m not. Obviously. If I was dating, I would hardly be able to talk to you as much. My boyfriend would be with me most nights and he would get very jealous if I was talking to someone. Plus, we agreed on that. If we liked someone else that we would tell each other. Are YOU seeing someone? Because maybe you forgot the agreement and it was my misunderstanding, incorrect assumption that—”

Daniel cut off Seongwoo’s rambling by grabbing his hand off the table and pulling it close between his own. He smiled softly.

“No, you didn’t misunderstand. I remember that agreement and I stuck to it. I don’t have anyone special. No one could snare my interest. There’s no one in Busan, probably in the world even, that is as enchanting and charming as you are, Seongwoo.”

Seongwoo bit his lip, flushing and stammering several moments later, “D-does that m-mean…?”

Daniel took a deep breath, his hands shaking slightly and his heart pounding like a drum roll.

“Yes, that’s what it means. I’m yours, Seongwoo. If you want me still, that is. That’s why I moved up here. I couldn’t wait anymore. I had to see if I could make you mine officially. I want to see you often and spend the night with you and walk around everywhere as a couple and brag to our friends about how we are the perfect couple in the group chat. What do you say? Will you be my boyfriend?”

“I-- I say-- I s-say that--”

Seongwoo’s stammering and inability to breathe as he squeezed Daniel’s hands eventually brought on a fit of coughing. Daniel went to give him his coffee. The coughing brunette was shaking and in a rush to grab it, thus ended up tipping it. A puddle spread on the center of the table and splattered on Daniel’s shirt.

Seongwoo apologized frantically, still in the midst of coughing. Daniel forced him to sit down, gave him the drink and went to get tissues. Two minutes later the areas was cleaned up and Seongwoo had finally stooped coughing. He stared at the table with a hand over his racing heart, gulping down the entirety of his drink as he tried to calm himself and collect his thoughts.

“I say, first of all, yes. Yes, to all the above. Second of all, let’s talk about something else. I think that my heart’s not ready for anymore confessions or couple acts just yet. Be slow with me here. I’m a total virgin in this aspect and I didn’t expect to see you yet. I wasn’t at all prepared. This is so overwhelming.”

Daniel brushed the back of his hand in comfort, smiling sweet and shy. “It is for me too. I also don’t really experience with this and I’m just as shocked by bumping into you. I needed preparation too.”

“Well, you sure were smooth back there,” Seongwoo pointed out grudgingly while chewing on his straw.

“I wasn’t. I just sort of blurted everything out that was on my mind. I blanked. I don’t even remember what I said.”

“You don’t, huh? Shame. For the record, it was very sweet, romantic, and silky smooth. Like you rehearsed or were feeding me lines from a romance movie.”

Daniel nodded absently in agreement. “Ah, maybe that’s where it came from. You made me watch so many. I unconsciously slipped out lines from the characters.”

They both laughed at that, their hands turning to link their fingers loosely together and squeezing gently. Of all the contact that they’d ever had the past two years, this was the most pleasant and electrifying. Their first contact as a couple.

“Why don’t you tell me about your impressions of Seoul so far? How has your life been here the first couple days? You like it? Hate it? Feeling like going to the beach already?”

“I like it. There’s a lot to see and do. Lots of things to eat. Everyone’s so fashionable and moving really fast compared to Busan. There’s more cars and no ocean or seafood smell which I actually like. Instead I smell flowers, perfumes, make-up, cooking food, and smoke. It’s an interesting but pleasant combination.”

Seongwoo snorted. “First thing you noticed is smells. Told you you’re a dog.”

“I’m not. I’m like a cat!” Daniel insisted, pressing down on his thumb in reprimand. “How was your first impression of Seoul?”

“Hmm, at first I was overwhelmed by the noise and the number of people. Everywhere I went was crowds and noise form cars, people, music. It was sensation overload.”

“I bet you got lost all the time, right?” Daniel guessed with a teasing tone.

Seongwoo bit his lip, eyes getting shifty like he was about to lie. In the end, he flushed and admitted with a small sigh, “Yes…I got lost several times a day. And took the wrong trains often so I had to back-track and was late to work or meeting people. It sucked.”

“And now?”

“Now, I really love it. Rather than noisy and crowded, I feel like it’s lively. I only get lost every once in awhile now too, so that’s nice. Also, if you get lost, just ask people. Seoul people, especially those in shops or in the subway are really kind.”

“Ah, good tip. What other kind of advice can you give me, city boy?”

“Hmm. When you go shopping, you should bring your own shopping bag to carry your stuff in and the carts here are chained up, so bring coins if you want to use them. Make sure that you properly separate your recycling or you could get scolded by your landlord, even fined. When it comes to getting anywhere, be on time and be assertive. No one is going to wait for you and the notion of orderly lines don’t exist.”

 

 

 

After they finished their coffee, their clothes had ended up drying and the rain had stopped yet their conversation which was flowing naturally didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon. Seongwoo suggested since Daniel was in the area that he stopped by his place just to check it out. Daniel had said he was curious about it several times after all. He had seen photos but it still wasn’t enough.

When they went in, they removed their shoes and drank some juice as Seongwoo led a tour around his place. It had three rooms—a bedroom with a bathroom and walk-in closet, a spacious living room with a desk area and book cases, and a medium sized kitchen.

Daniel went around, amazed by everything, going “Wah~”

“Are you a broken record trying to spit out the word water?” Seongwoo teased.

Daniel laughed, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. “Ah, sorry about that. I just got excited for no particular reason.”

Seongwoo stood in the living room with a secretive smile, fiddling with the as always too-long sleeves. He still got comfort from sweater-paws and having his scars covered up, Daniel noticed. Sensing Seongwoo wanted to say something, Daniel observed him and waited, slightly nervous again.

“I’ll give you a reason to be excited about then. I gave you my answer earlier and I’d like to say more about that. I like…no, I love you. I’m in love with you. Have been for a long time and I don’t think that it’s changed at all since before we got off the boat.”

Daniel smiled widely, flushing deeply. What an attack that was!

“Ah…ha ha…you do? Hmm, me too…I like you, er love you a lot too…” he mumbled between some nervous, shy laughs.

“Ah, you feel the same? Oh, that’s good. Ha ha ha…” Seongwoo’s state became the same as his, his face even redder. “So I guess that means…we’re dating then? Since we officially confessed with those words we always avoided.”

“Yeah, we’re dating or something now…”

“Yes, not boy ‘space’ friends. Now we’re boyfriends. No spaces, no friend zones.” As if Daniel wouldn’t understand with merely words, he used his hands for emphasis, closing the space between them.

“Exactly. There’s a space between us right now but not in what we would call each other anymore.”

Seongwoo glanced at the distance that laid between them then, roughly three steps. “Ah, a space. Um…hmm…maybe we should change that? Ha ha ha…”

Daniel couldn’t stop smiling, his feet fidgeting, tempted to take a step forward. “Ah, yeah we probably should, ha ha ha…”

They continued to laugh nervously, flush and fidget as they stepped hesitantly close to each other. Daniel held out his hands and Seongwoo put his carefully against his. They linked their fingers loosely and pressed their foreheads together with bashful, sweet smiles. Every couple seconds, their eyes would flicker from the ground to each other and then they would giggle and look back down again.

This went on, along with their awkward, rather repetitive and pointless conversation for several minutes. Until Daniel grew comfortable enough to become a bit bolder. He released one of Seongwoo’s hands to cradle his defined jaw and tip up his head. Then, he slowly turned his head and pressed their lips together gently. Seongwoo responded with light pressure back. Their lips softly smacked several times, the kisses remaining sweet and innocent.

Daniel whispered, brushing their lips slightly together as he hadn’t drawn back yet. “Should I go? It’s getting late and you must have to wake up early to get to that wedding.”

Seongwoo pressed their lips together five more times before responding faintly, “Should you go? Hmm, I don’t need that much sleep to be able to drive. I don’t need to get going that early. It’s just a thirty- or forty-minute drive.”

Foreheads pressed together, they began rubbing noses, observing each other’s grapefruit faces and dorky grins.

“Hmm, can I stay then? Is that moving too fast?”

“Hmm, sure you can stay. You don’t even have to ask. You’re always welcome to be wherever I am. And I think that we’ve already moved too fast from two years ago because of our situation.”

They chuckled and kissed a few more times, lingering longer and pressing more firmly.

“That’s true. From the first day we met we were going to third base within twenty minutes of saying hello. Hardly any adults get as fast as that.”

“Exactly. But we are much too slow on other counts. How long has it taken us to admit how we feel?”

“Right, in that case we are turtles. I feel sorry for our frustrated friends.”

“They just don’t get it. They’ve got things simpler than us.”

“Also true. Every couple is different anyway. It’s been a long journey, but we’ve gotten through all of it.”  
“Together. That’s most important to note. I couldn’t have gotten through any of these issues without you. Thank you for helping me escape—from the facility, from Swing, from my inner monsters, my insecurities, my scars and fears, and so much more. Thank you so much, Daniel.”

“You are very welcome, Seongwoo. You helped me too. You helped me become more mature. I was going to ask you out while we were running away. After our steamy accident and the talk we had, I started thinking more rationally and carefully. If we’d started dating from then, things might have been really hard for us this past year and we might have broken up. It was the right decision to hold back and take things slow.”

“Glad that you listened to me. If you had asked me then, I would have said yes. Even though I honestly knew that it wasn’t a good idea. It wasn’t the right timing.”

“We did a good job in waiting. For the perfect timing to come. As if it were fated. We didn’t plan anything.”

“Well, you planned to come up here. That wasn’t fate.”

“No, but coming to this restaurant that happens to be close to where you live was all consequence. I just randomly searched ‘spiciest ramen in Seoul’ and this is what came up.”

“Ah, yes, that does seem like a funny coincidence.”

Daniel smirked wickedly. “Is it also a coincidence I’m going to have to sleep naked with you because there’s only one bed, I’m too small for the couch, and your clothes are surely too small for me?”

Seongwoo smacked his arm and giggled, ducking his head down shyly. “Stop it~”

“Why? You’re my boyfriend now. We kissed several times and confessed everything that we’ve been keeping in for yours. You said I can spend the night. We’ve already happened to have had sex a ton of times. I think it’s fine if I act a bit naughty.”

“It does things to me though. So, lay off for a bit.”

“Hmm, what sort of things do I make you feel? Tell me in detail and I’ll consider it,” Daniel whispered near his ear as he slid his hands around his waist and into the back of his shirt to caress the silky, warm skin there.

Seongwoo shivered and moaned, falling against him and slipping his arms around his shoulders. The move felt as natural as breathing since they’d already got the first hug of their reunion over with. The brunette hesitated before admitting honestly in a quiet tone. 

“It makes me hot all over, tingly, weak-kneed, gets my heart racing, my chest hurts, it’s hard to breathe, and my stomach turns…”

Daniel chuckled, brushing his ear with his lips. “That sounds very much like desire. Do you want me, Seongwoo?”

“Y-yes…”

“Do you want me to take you to bed now? And I don’t at all mean to tuck you in to sleep. Or to cuddle. Well, we can cuddle afterwards. What I mean is—”  
  


“Shut up, please. Yes, I want you. Yes, I want you to take me to bed. Yes, I want to have sex. There, I said it loud and clear, so enough rambling, stupid puppy.”

With that, wrapped his hands in Daniel’s hair and pressed their lips together eagerly. The heated blonde became instantly impassioned and aroused. He held Seongwoo close, flushly pressed up against his body and groaned as their tongues tangled in a fierce battle. Their heads turned left and right as their tongues dived and twisted, their pearly teeth taking nips at their swollen, wet lips, their lips closing around wherever they could and sucking greedily. The living room was filled with the sounds of slurping, heavy breathing, and excited moans.

Daniel tugged them to the bedroom, scratching along Seongwoo’s spine and sucking hard at his neck. Seongwoo gasped, stumbling as he attempted to keep up but unable to function fully.

A minute later, they tumbled on the bed, snatching and tugging at their clothes between passionately kissing, sucking, nipping, and caressing every patch of skin that they could reach until they were fully bare on top of the blankets. Seongwoo whimpered as Daniel stopped rubbing his thighs and sucking at his nipples which he’d been thoroughly enjoying.

“Hold on. I have an idea. This is a special moment for us that I think we should document.”

Seongwoo raised an eyebrow, watching the toned, golden-skinned blonde curiously. Daniel appeared to be using his camera to film their love-making. Seongwoo was at first apprehensive at the idea. Daniel knew well about how he felt about cameras now because he felt the same.

They both had an aversion to being filmed. They were not exactly scared of it. But the idea of their private lives being filmed anymore made them uncomfortable as they recalled how there’d always been someone watching them for several years and they detested that feeling of having their privacy invaded. It was a feeling of unease and stress that all Doms and Subs from the facility faced.

The younger reassured the apprehensive elder in a calming tone.

“Only we are going to see it, Seongwoo. It’s our memory. I think it would be good for us. To get over that fear of cameras we have. As well as clear away any negative feelings we had from our previous times together. You know, when things weren’t exactly mutual and consensual like they are now.”

“Ah, I see what you mean. It’s like coming full cycle. Cleansing ourselves. We can watch that later and see how far we’ve come. How right it feels now. How wrong it wasn’t even then. That way, neither of us will feel bad about doing things when we weren’t ready.”

Daniel nodded as he walked over. Seongwoo laid enticingly in the bed, halfway covered by the blankets since he’d become self-conscious once Daniel wasn’t there. His body was as gorgeous, flawless, and nicely shaped as Daniel recalled.

“Exactly. It’s going to be good for us, at least to do it once or twice initially. Especially for you. It was hard for you even after you got used to it, remember? Feeling like you committed a grave sin by doing things with someone you didn’t love, by even enjoying that. In actuality, you enjoyed it because it was me, because we felt things for each other from the beginning. You felt uncomfortable about it then, but you won’t feel so now. It’s like healing.”

“Like another way of escaping something. Escape from my feelings of sin and guilt at that time. Hmm, I see. Okay, we can film the first couple of times. I’m tired of always feeling weird around cameras anyway. I also don’t want any lingering regrets about our time together. Not any of it.

You’re right. I’m sure now that the reason I enjoyed it with you then was not because I was becoming some sort of sex-craved pervert. It was because you were special and I liked you from the beginning. You were different, you know? You were so caring, gentle, and sweet with me. Like a real boyfriend would be.”

Daniel slid onto the bed next to him, took his hand, and kissed and nuzzled slowly up his arm, sending visible shivers through Seongwoo and making him heat up further. “Well, I’m going to be even more so. Because now I’m really your boyfriend.”

“Indeed, you are. Now you are mine and I’m yours, officially. Does that sound as amazing to you as it sounds to me?”

“It sounds more so, Seongwoo. It’s phenomenal. I’ve understood what my feelings were for longer than you have and hence I’ve been imagining you were mine much longer as well. Hmm, your scars are almost gone? It’s so faint now, I can barely find them.”

Daniel looked at his scars and kissed them several times until he’d covered each part. He was determined and it took a minute to accomplish.

Seongwoo smiled softly, feeling full of warmth and love from the old-fashioned ‘healing’. He had missed that. He had missed a lot of things about Daniel and their time together. Pretty much everything. Waiting this long and living on his own had been almost unbearable. Luckily, he’d had his dream, work, counseling, friends, and family to distract him and keep the intense loneliness at bay.

Seongwoo reached out to stroke the blonde’s silky hair, gazing at his face with affection, tearing up at the emotional moment. He didn’t know why he kept crying when this was the happiest day of his life. Daniel laid on his arm, rubbing his thumb over the now faint, white, ridged lines.

“They’ll never go away though. Not completely.”

Daniel frowned. “I’m sorry…”

“You have nothing to be sorry for. It could have been worse if you hadn’t learned what I was doing and become so bent on stopping me.”

“I was terrified. When I saw you slumped on the bathroom floor and bleeding out. It was the most terrifying thing I’d ever seen. I had nightmares that were worse. Even sometimes I still do. I’m glad that you’re not cutting anymore.”

Daniel physically shivered. The one who had always needed the comforting was ironically the one to embrace and caress that night.

“I’m glad too. Thank you for liking me even back then. And for being there for me and protecting me always, even from myself and negative thoughts. The scars might not heal on my arm but the scar on my heart gradually healed. You were the largest reason why I could escape my monsters and the darkness. You made them flee for good with your radiant light, goodness, and positivity.”

Daniel added with a bright tone, pressed up against Seongwoo’s chest and cradled comfortably in his slightly bony arms, “Plus, I made you less lonely.”

Seongwoo chuckled softly as he ran his fingers through the blonde hair, fascinated by the fluffy, golden strands. “Yes, that as well. I felt less lonely just knowing that I would be able to see and talk to you soon. Maybe not when or as much as I needed. But just a little bit at least, as long as I waited patiently.”

“Well, you’ll never have to wait for anything or feel lonely, hyung. I’m going to be stuck to you like glue on paper. So much that you’ll get sick of me. And you won’t even have to wait for an orgasm. I won’t tease you. I’ll give you anything you want at the snap of a finger.”

Seongwoo laughed evilly then and snapped his fingers. “Orgasm then, now.”

“Okay, I’ll get on that. But you know it’s not going to be instantaneous. We’re experts at holding back. Sometimes unconsciously. It takes me like fifteen minutes at least just to masturbate while thinking of you.”

“That’s not that long. I’ve taken up to thirty minutes before.”

“Ouch. Your poor arms. Why do you put them through so much? What did they ever do to you?” Daniel flipped Seongwoo over and rubbed his arms that were pinned up by his head.

“They’re too scrawny, that’s what. Anyway, back to business. Well, pleasure for us now more so than business. I don’t think it’s going to take long. Since it’s been ages for me.”

“For me as well. I don’t expect that I’ll last long. This time will just have to be a sort of quickie.”

“Alright, but don’t make it quick. I don’t want to rush or do it rough. I want it like couples usually do. Romantic and slow and sweet.”

“Alrighty then. One round of chick flick sex coming up. Whatever my baby wants, he gets. That’s my new motto.”

Seongwoo giggled, snaking his hands around Daniel’s shoulders. Daniel let himself pulled down, feeling excited as he fit their naked bodies together. Seongwoo wrapped his legs around the other’s calves, locking him in place, his hips shifting so their hard shafts rubbed together, causing hot tingles to shoot through their bodies like a stroke of lightning. Their breaths hitched and similar soft groans slipped out as they molded together.

“I like that nick-name. Baby. Call me that from now on, please.”

“Got it, baby. What would you like to call me?”

“Hmm. Stupid puppy?”

Daniel scowled and nipped at his chin, tonguing the yummy cleft. Seongwoo’s eyes fluttered closed, his breath hitching and his hips rolling again. Daniel smirked, liking how sensitive his lover was. He kissed and then licked all over his jaw for a minute. When Seongwoo started to pant and squirm, Daniel grinded against his hips, ceasing their shifting for good, and sucked at the vein on his neck.

Seongwoo tossed his head back and cried out loudly as the pleasure overwhelmed him, his arms and legs squeezing tight, locking the blonde in place. Daniel continued his attack, getting gradually more intense with his movements, marking the milky skin with purple bruises. One hand slipped to squeeze his butt cheek as he grinded slow but firm, his other hand going to flick Seongwoo’s already pert nipples.

“Oh god, yes, fuck fuck fff-fuck yes…Hmm, more, Daniel, more…”

When he was worked into a panting, sweaty mess, arching his back, and whining about being close, Daniel lifted his hips off completely. Seongwoo whimpered, trying to cling onto him and retain the contact. Daniel then returned to heatedly kissing him, their tongues turning into a sweet, wet, heated frenzy. He rubbed Seongwoo’s thighs and kissed him through the preparation.

Once he’d brought him close from fingering his prostate within a mere couple of minutes later, Daniel entered him without warning. Seongwoo jerked his head away and cried out in mixed pleasure and pain, body tensing up at the intrusion he wasn’t used to. Daniel stroked his legs, slowly easing in with concentration and patience. He had to move inch by inch when he felt Seongwoo’s center relaxing and giving him way.

He could have forced in with one swift, powerful move but he didn’t want Seongwoo’s tissue to tear. He would hurt the next morning. Never, ever would he intentionally cause pain of any sort to Seongwoo who had been through so much from others. He was the sweetest person in the world. He didn’t deserve that. The younger only wanted to give the other pleasure and happiness.

“Daniel, I’m so happy right now. I love you so much. Thank you, thank you for coming here…”

“I love you too. You make me so happy. Thank you for liking me back and waiting for me.”

“Of course I would wait for you. Until the end of time.”

“Same. You are so worth it. This whole crazy journey has completely been worth it for this moment. Real, emotional, romantic sex, with my baby. No puppeteers, no out of control libidos, no viewers. Just us, making love simply because we feel like it.”

Seongwoo sniffled. Daniel kissed away his tears and then kissed all over his face. That only made Seongwoo cry some more because of how touching and romantic this scene was.

“It’s like in the movies we watched before…only better.”

“Yes, I agree. It’s much better. Now let’s reach that peak and fly to heaven, baby.”

“Yes, let’s…”

Daniel started to thrust slow and gentle, paying attention to subtle movements, feelings, and sounds to ensure Seongwoo was feeling only pleasure and getting loved the way that he wanted to be. They made slow, passionate love while kissing and murmuring exclamations, compliments, and sweet, emotional confessions, tears slipping down their heated cheeks. They breathily whispered ‘I love you’ against each other’s swollen lips, straining and shivering through their intense climax.

 

 

 

Daniel eventually stopped snuggling and kissing his exhausted, blissful, on the verge of sleep boyfriend. He slipped out of bed, grabbed the camera and came back. Seongwoo covered himself fully with the blanket and ducked shyly behind his shoulder. Daniel laid back and held the camera over their heads, turning the flap so they could see each other’s faces and his bare chest clearly as it recorded.

Seongwoo squealed and tried to hide more behind him, peeking one eye shyly at the camera, clearly smiling under the blankets that covered the lower half of his face. Daniel watched him through the screen, laughing lightly and smiling lovingly.

“So, how was our second time making love as free men and our first time together as a couple, Seongwoo? Please explain.”

Seongwoo muttered softly into the younger’s warm skin. “It was good…”

Daniel lightly pressed in a teasing tone. “In detail, please.”  
“It was mind-blowingly good…?”

Daniel laughed brightly, flushing a bit with embarrassment and smiling wide at the flattery. “I’ll take that. I felt like it was the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. I guess because it was all emotional and full of feelings. And we could say all those things we only said in our minds before. I felt like our hearts filled up with love and connected deeply. Don’t you?”

“Hmm-hmm.”

“Being shy after all that? Where is the wildcat that nearly broke the window with his screams earlier, huh?”

The camera caught Seongwoo glaring at Daniel and flicking his cheek. Daniel chuckled, capturing his hand to kiss and gnaw at it affectionately. Seongwoo smiled and giggled, pressing his nose into Daniel’s arm, not even attempting to pull his hand away from the sweet attacks. He didn’t want to refuse Daniel anything or be away from him for a moment.

“Such a cutie. Always have been.”

“That’s why you’re hopelessly whipped for me, right?” the brunette teased.

Daniel smiled sheepishly. “Not, er…hopelessly, I wouldn’t say that far.”

“That’s not what Minhyun told me.”

Daniel frowned and cursed, “Damn him. I never did like him.”

“You might have liked him if he wasn’t one of the Doms and didn’t happen to be my close friend. Because you’re a whipped, jealous, territorial puppy. I knew what was going on even before we escaped. You always seemed unusually bothered by him. That’s what gave me an inkling that you liked me. Though I just thought it was a lot shallower than it really was.”

“Hmm. You saw right through me.” Daniel flushed and hid his face in his free hand with embarrassment. “When did you have an idea of how deeply?”

“I think from that time that you saved me when we were running to the forest? You beat up that guard a lot more than necessary and you were so angry about my neck having a little bit of bruising from it though I wasn’t that frazzled. Minhyun helped me see that you did it because of me, because you had feelings for me.

At that time, I dismissed the thought because I figured it was something else going on with you and then you started acting cold to me. But later in the hotel when I thought about it more, I realized that what Minhyun said made a lot of sense. And it became more and more apparent as the days went on. You saving me several times, protecting me from creeps, getting pissed off on my behalf, the look on your face when I was thrown in the water.

Oh, and the sleep-talking confession.”

“The…the _what_?” Daniel turned to him, forgetting about the camera.

Seongwoo smiled sweetly, the blanket falling away from him as he reached out to caress his hair and along his cheek. “You confessed to me before actually. In your sleep.”

“What? When? No way…” Daniel was lost and horrified.

The other explained calmly, “It was when I was sick. You fell asleep in the cot next to me. I wasn’t feeling well and I was cold so I cuddled up to you. And then you started talking to me about your feelings and asking me what I felt.”

“Oh my god. You knew for so long and here I thought I was doing a decent job of covering it up because I didn’t want you to know and make hasty decisions that would lead to unhappiness. Ugh, sorry. That was NOT the way you should have found out someone likes you.”

Daniel appeared mortified. Seongwoo gazed at him with a goofy sort of smile, blissfully happy and amused.

“Why not? I thought it was adorable. I was just sorry that I was confused at the time about how I was feeling. About the nature of exactly what I was feeling and what I should do about it. My mind was a jumbled mess then. I couldn’t even say that I liked you back when you were asleep. I could barely admit it to myself until we had that drama with the boatman.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I wish I had killed him with my own hands every time that I think of him honestly. Even now.”

Daniel’s eyes flashed with a nostalgic dark fury. Seongwoo still found it sexy but intimidating, slightly worrisome as well.

“I appreciate that. That you would be willing to kill someone that hurt me or in order to protect me. But let’s not ever allow things to get that far anymore. We have police and laws for that here. That are not quite as loose and corrupt as those in China. I’d rather stay with you frequently and see you fulfill all of your dreams, become successful and richer.”

Daniel caressed his hair and kissed his forehead. “Alright. Whatever my baby says, goes. I will stay out of trouble from now on and let the police do the work my fists could do well enough on their own.”

Seongwoo raised his head and slipped in to plant some soft kisses against his cheek. “Thank you. For everything. For being the sweetest.”

“You’re welcome and thank you all the same. You are by far the sweetest.”

That got them into a playful argument and compliment game. Daniel shut off the camera so that he could properly punish Seongwoo with tickles. After ten minutes of wrestling and rolling around the bed, squealing and laughing as they attacked each other with tickles and raspberries, they returned to cuddling with Seongwoo laying on Daniel’s chest, embracing and with legs loosely tangled, toes rubbing together.

“Wah, seriously your apartment is so big. It’s too much for one person to live in. You could easily have four people living here.”

“Why don’t you move in?”

“Neh?!”

“Not now,” Seongwoo chuckled, bopping the surprised blonde on the nose. “That would certainly be moving too fast. We just got together.

But anyway, you’re probably going to be staying here often. Maybe it’s a good idea for you to move into my place after a few months. If we’re still doing well and going strong, that is. You can save more money.

We can use the living expenses instead on traveling and dating instead. That’s pretty much the only adult thing that I haven’t had a chance to do—date someone. Since I’ve been waiting for you to either move up here or ask me to move down there. You turtle. This whole ‘get together’ thing was supposed to be a few months, not nearly a year.”

“Sorry that it took longer than I thought. I was planning on moving up to Seoul the whole time. Just that it was a bit more complicated to dot the i’s and cross the t’s than I thought. It’s hard living in a place where everyone loves the foods that I’m allergic to.

Sorry for making you wait this long and thank you. For not taking your chances with someone else. I’ll take you out on lots of dates to make it up to you. I’ll only eat ramen and put all the rest of the money after paying bills investing in you and us. Sounds good?”

“No, that doesn’t sound good.” Seongwoo pouted and poked at his fluffy cheek in reprimand. “You better eat more than just ramen. All that sodium isn’t good for your healthy and increase the amount of viscous fat.”

“What’s that?” Daniel laughed incredulously. “Are you watching your weight or trying to tone up or something?”

Seongwoo’s thin lips curved up mysteriously.

“Hmm, something like that. You don’t need to know about it. Anyway, I insist that you eat a proper meal. If I catch you eating ramen more than twice a week, I’m going to force you to come here and I’ll cook you breakfast and dinner at least. Lunch you’re on your own with, but you can eat out pretty cheap if you go to areas where universities are.”

“Ah, another tip. You sound like a local. I’m not used to you being knowledgeable. It’s quite hot,” Daniel teased with an ear-splitting grin, tickling his slim, curvy waist.

Seongwoo moaned and then bit his lip to stop himself, slapping Daniel on the shoulder. “I read a lot. Of course I’m knowledgeable. Being directionally challenged doesn’t make me an imbecile.”

“I suppose that’s true. Even if I were to read, I’d still be the biggest pabo here. An Ong-pabo.”

“What’s that?” Seongwoo scoffed and flushed as Daniel held him close and rained kisses on his face. “Stop, it tickles~”

“Nope. Don’t wanna. I’ll be a good boy and listen to you most of the time but not all of the time. What puppy always obeys? I still need to be trained with punishments and rewards.”

Seongwoo suggested, “I’ll give you another round anyway that you want it if you don’t stop and the punishment would be nothing physical for a week.”

Daniel stopped the playful kisses immediately.

“Oh, it worked well.” Seongwoo smirked, clearly pleased with himself.

Daniel scowled. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a genius when it comes to puppy training. Reward now, please?”

“Addict,” Seongwoo chuckled, climbing on top of him,, both of them under the blankets.

Daniel filled his hands greedily with Seongwoo’s squishy, small cheeks and pulled them closer together. Seongwoo gasped and bit his lip as their members rubbed together, gradually stiffening at the simple contact already.

“You are too. Not a sex addict but a Niel addict. I’m an Ong addict.”

“I guess that’s true. Unless it was because you were flirting with me or sending suggestive, sometimes even purely scandalous photos through text, then I was hardly interested in it. So busy I barely even thought of it or counted how long it had been.”

“Same. I would be soft as a marshmallow and then I would think of you or recall something or have a dream with you or see even a cute selfie of yours and then I would be instantly hard as marble.”

Seongwoo laid over him and rubbed their noses together, wearing a soft, crooked smile, his eyes full of warmth and affection. “Whipped, just like Minhyun said.”

Daniel growled and slapped his behind smartly, making Seongwoo gasp and swallow a moan, embarrassed that he was aroused by that. “Listen up. From now on if you mention Minhyun’s name again when we are in bed, then this will be just a small portion of your punishment. Got that, bratty Seongwoo?”

Seongwoo’s smirk and the twinkle in his pretty eyes suggested that that was merely the tip of the iceberg about how much of a brat the man could be. “That sounds like fun. You know, the other day, Minhyun—”

Seongwoo cut off with a gasp, collapsing around Daniel and hugging his neck, his lower half jerking from the stinging smack he’d earned just as he’d wanted. Daniel growled and bit his ear. Seongwoo moaned into his neck, rubbing their stiff members together, his body tingling and hot from the exciting, tiny amount of pain.

That was positively exhilarating. Where had Daniel learned that? He was excited that his old lover seemed to have some new tricks, anticipating finding out about the entirety over time.

“I’m most certain that was on purpose, wasn’t it?”

“No, no. It was totally on accident. Sometimes his name just slips out. You know since we’re close friends and—” he stopped to help and bury his head in Daniel’s neck, biting his cheek to stop the cry from escaping his throat just in time.

“Hey, I didn’t even say the name that time,” Seongwoo whined when he’d calmed down several moments later.

Daniel chuckled evilly. “That time was just because you were irritating me. Stop trying to make me even more jealous, Seongwoo. You won’t like me when I’m really angry.”

Seongwoo recalled the times that he’d seen Daniel angry when it wasn’t directed at him and how hot that he that it was. Wouldn’t it be a similar feeling if he was a bit angry while that was directed at him? He was tempted to find out if it was as hot as he thought it would be.

“I think you’re cute even when you’re angry. I’ve heard from Jaehwan though. Minhyun, on the other hand, when he’s angry now—”

That comment earned him a fierce growl, a bite on the neck, and three light smacks on both cheeks. Seongwoo gasped excitedly and moaned loud into the pillow, holding Daniel tighter and rolling their hips together eagerly. This time, he didn’t pause his movements and they ceased having any sort of conversation all together.

The soft moans and blankets that covered them as they shifted resembled the rocking and splashing sounds of the waves of the ocean that brought them to the land of freedom and allowed them to finally be together the way the couple were destined to be all along. Swing might have interfered with that and pushed back the time of their meeting, but the encounter and falling for each other—that was inevitable. Since the two doves’ wings were intertwined with a red string of fate since the day of their births.

Now that they had escaped all of the cages that once confined them in various ways, they were free to fly off like they had been yearning for—together. A new, promising journey began for the pair from that glorious day. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hopefully wrapped up everything and gave you guys that peaceful, promising, happily ever after that you were waiting for. It's taken a long time to get here and the characters (my babies) have grown so much. Thank you for traveling this difficult journey with them and cheering them on. Now they have finally 'escaped' all their various ailments inner and outer that have kept them from being together as well as kept them from growing up. They are more mature and deeply in love (for sure, they have no doubts after even a year of long distance) and now they have the means, time, responsibility, and knowledge to have a successful, meaningful, serious relationship. They are now two freely frying doves fluttering about happily in the sky far from their cages and anyone attempting to harm or observe or posess them just because they are beautiful. They can be together all they want, blissfully in love forever and ever.
> 
> So, yay~ 
> 
> Tell me your final thoughts on this fluffy, romantic chapter and the story in general. This story has been my first attempt at a sort of symbolic, darker, emotional, action-packed, 'search for healing', growing up sort of story. I tried something different and put a lot of thought into it while writing and editing several times a chapter, but I'm not sure if it's been executed well. Nothing ever comes out quite to my satisfaction because I'm picky, but I hope that it leaves you feeling more mature and hopeful in regards to Daniel's situation especially, W1's graduation, and ON's current relationship in general. They might have a hard time now, they might be caged and kept from each other still even though they have escaped Swing/YMC, but someday they will be free and together again as long as they wish to be. Just like the pair in this story. Good things are on the horizon for our boys and they are still in the middle of their journey on becoming adults and full-fleshed artists. Getting out of Swing is just the beginning of their escape plans and only a part of what they will need to accomplish to become mature and talented and populare in the future. 
> 
> Thank you for coming to my TED talk haha. Sorry if this story is too heavy but I really want it to pull something out of you, whatever that might be. You might interpret it differently than I intended. That's the beauty of stories. I've had fun attempting darker themes and symbolism and intense emotions and action. It's been quite a challenge. Ah, I really hope that you liked it~ If you liked this story, please recommend it to your mutuals~ And do tell me even a few words of what you think/felt ^^
> 
> See you around in other stories. I will be continuing my greek gods au while working on others that are merely ideas for now. Thanks again for giving this slightly depressing, possibly confrontational story a chance!
> 
> <3 Raina

**Author's Note:**

> I will write in the first chapter. Be up within the week.


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